UK mental health service users' experiences of losing another service user to suicide: a survivor-led qualitative study

People who lose someone to suicide are more likely to die by suicide. People using mental health services together can develop complex relationships of friendship and solidarity, as well as conflict. This has not been studied in the context of suicide bereavement. There is no targeted support for such loss, but service users' needs and suicide

bereavement are priorities in England's 2023-28 suicide prevention strategy. This study, led by a survivor of this type of loss working with a group of fellow survivors, will explore these gaps, asking: what is it like to experience the death by suicide of someone you met through using mental health services in

the UK, and what might help? It will draw on survivor research traditions in mental health - approaches focused on lived experience shaping research. It will comprise: 1) A systematic review of academic and other research on how service users relate to each other. 2) An interview study with 15-20 people who have lost

someone they met through using mental health services to suicide, exploring how it affected them and what might help. 3) Focus groups with clinicians and managers, charity stakeholders, and lived-experience-led groups, discussing interview findings and potential support. 4) Workshops with interviewees and survivor working group

to co-produce resources for survivors and guidelines for tailored support.