AAS Postvention & Survivor Support 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization developed the widely used SOS (Survivors of Suicide) support group model for suicide loss survivors?
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) (Correct answer)
- American Association of Suicidology (AAS)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Correct answer: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
AFSP developed and promotes the SOS support group model specifically for survivors of suicide loss.
Question 2: When conducting postvention in a school setting after a student suicide, which action is considered CONTRAINDICATED?
- Setting up a dedicated memorial room for students to grieve (Correct answer)
- Identifying high-risk students for individual follow-up
- Maintaining normal school schedule as much as possible
- Training staff to recognize warning signs in peers
Correct answer: Setting up a dedicated memorial room for students to grieve
A dedicated memorial room can glorify the death and increase contagion risk; grief should be supported without creating a focal point that glamorizes the suicide.
Question 3: The term 'complicated grief' (also called prolonged grief disorder) in suicide loss survivors is BEST characterized by:
- Intense, persistent grief lasting beyond 12 months that impairs functioning (Correct answer)
- Grief that occurs only in the first 2 weeks after loss
- Absence of visible emotional expression after loss
- Grief that resolves completely without professional intervention
Correct answer: Intense, persistent grief lasting beyond 12 months that impairs functioning
Complicated grief in suicide loss survivors involves prolonged, debilitating mourning that does not follow expected recovery trajectories and impairs daily functioning.
Question 4: According to AAS postvention guidelines, how soon after a suicide death should initial outreach to the immediate family typically occur?
- Within 24–72 hours (Correct answer)
- Only after the funeral has taken place
- At the 6-month anniversary of the death
- After family members request help on their own
Correct answer: Within 24–72 hours
AAS guidelines recommend initiating outreach within 24–72 hours to provide timely support and connect survivors with resources.
Question 5: A survivor of suicide loss who repeatedly questions why the death happened and searches for an explanation is exhibiting which normal grief response?
- Sense-making (Correct answer)
- Pathological rumination
- Post-traumatic avoidance
- Dissociative ideation
Correct answer: Sense-making
Sense-making is a recognized, normal grief process in which survivors attempt to construct meaning or find reasons for the loss.
Question 6: Which of the following postvention activities is MOST consistent with evidence-based contagion prevention after a celebrity suicide?
- Media briefings that avoid romanticizing the death and emphasize help-seeking resources (Correct answer)
- Public vigils held at the location of the death
- Widespread news coverage detailing the method used
- Social media campaigns featuring the deceased's image prominently
Correct answer: Media briefings that avoid romanticizing the death and emphasize help-seeking resources
Evidence-based safe messaging guidelines recommend media coverage that focuses on help-seeking and avoids glamorizing or sensationalizing the death.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the 'survivor guilt' commonly experienced by suicide loss survivors?
- A belief that one could or should have prevented the death (Correct answer)
- Feeling relieved that the person is no longer suffering
- Guilt arising from inheriting the deceased's possessions
- Anger directed at mental health providers
Correct answer: A belief that one could or should have prevented the death
Survivor guilt in suicide bereavement typically involves persistent thoughts that the survivor failed to recognize warning signs or take action to prevent the death.
AAS Postvention & Survivor Support 2
Which organization developed the widely used SOS (Survivors of Suicide) support group model for suicide loss survivors?