| Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and accounts for over 38,000 deaths per year (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). For every person who commits suicide, there are approximately six to ten survivors left to cope with the loss of their loved one (Cerel, Maple, Aldrich, & van de Venne, 2013). Noteworthy consequences of survivorship include complicated grief, depression, and survivor guilt. Attachment theory suggests that during the grieving process, the nature of the survivor's grief reaction may be greatly influenced by early attachment styles and may manifest in his or her adulthood, following the suicide (Stroebe, Abakoumkin, Stroebe, & Schut, 2011). Specifically, the theory proposes that securely attached individuals are better able to cope with the loss of a loved one and come to terms with the death more easily than those who are insecurely attached (Stroebe & Archer, 2013). Given the potential intensity of the grief response, survivors may experience complicated grief, a phenomenon described in the literature as exacerbated grief symptoms lasting longer than six months (Shear et al., 2011). To date, the extant literature is limited regarding the relationship between attachment styles, depression, complicated grief, and survivor guilt in survivors of suicide. An understanding of the relationship between survivors' attachment styles and experience of complicated grief may (a) increase mental health clinicians' awareness of the role of attachment in the development of depression, complicated grief, and survivor guilt; and (b) aid in the development of a framework for appropriate assessment, treatment, and long-term intervention among survivors of suicide. |
