Mothers who lose a child to suicide are at risk themselves

Mothers who lose a child to suicide are at risk of suicide themselves and should be offered specialised support.

A study of bereaved mothers shatters long-held assumptions around grief, mainly that women are good at expressing their feelings and that the passing of time eases the feeling of loss.

It instead found that mothers carry huge guilt, believing they failed in their job to protect their child, and that they were often pre-occupied with feelings of wanting to be with their deceased child by taking their own lives.