Lillian: Here;s a somewhat long in the tooth general bibliography that has some references that may help. There's a more recent evaluative literature on suicide loss support. Anecdotally, I've referred a lot of suicide survivors to groups like SOS over the past 20 years and their feedback is very positive. They find the groups to be safe sources of mutual self-help with peer facilitators who "get it" and other participants who share experience and resources. Open-ended groups that accept members soon after the loss seem the most popular. The only negative feedback I've received is that there are (1) too few such groups, (2) too few for adolescents, and (3) none oriented to "masculine grievers.

Bailley, S., Kral, M., and Dunham, H. (1999) "Survivors of Suicide do Grieve Differently: Empirical Support for a Common Sense Proposition" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 29(3) 256-271. Abstract

Barlow, C.A., and Morrison, H. (2002) "Survivors of Suicide: Emerging Counseling Strategies" Journal of Psychological Nursing/40(1) 28-39.

Barnes, D. (2006) " The Aftermath of Suicide among African Americans" Journal of Black Psychology 32(3) 335-348.

Barry, L.C., et al. (2002) "Psychiatric Disorders among Bereaved Persons" American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 10(4) 447-457.

Beautrais, A. (2004) Suicide Postvention Christchurch, NZ: Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Services.

Cerel, J. et al. (2009) "A Call for Research: The Need to Better Understand the Impact of Support Groups for Suicide Survivors" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 39(3) 269-281.

Clark, S. (2001) "Bereavement after Suicide - How far have we come and where do we go from here?" Crisis 22(3) 102-108.

Clark, S. et al. (1993) "A Support Group for People Bereaved Through Suicide" Crisis 14(4) Abstract

Cooper, J. (1999) "Ethical Issues and their Practical Application in Psychological Autopsies of Suicide" Journal of Clinical Nursing 8(4) 467-475 Abstract

Crosby, A. and Sacks J. (2002) "Exposure to Suicide: Incidence and Association with suicidal Ideation and Behavior, US 1994" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 32 321-328.

Cvinar, J.G. (2005) "Do Suicide Survivors Suffer Social Stigma: A Review of the Literature" Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 41(1) 14-21. Abstract

Davis, C. and Hinger, B. (2005) Assessing the Needs of Survivors of Suicide Calgary, Alberta: Calgary Health Region.

Dyregrov, K. (2004) "Breaved Parents Experience of Research Participation" Social Science & Medicine 58(2) 391-400. Abstract

Ellenbogen, S. and Gratton, G. (2001) "Do They Suffer More? Reflections on Research Comparing Suicide Survivors and Other Survivors" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 31(1) 83-90.

Jordan, J.R., (2001) "Is Suicide Bereavement Different? A Reassessment of the Literature" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 31(1) 91-103.

Jordan, J.R., (2007)"After Suicide Loss: What Can We Learn from Grief Research?" Surviving Suicide (AAS)19(2) 7-9.

Jordan, J.R. and McMenamy, J. (2004)"Interventions for Suicide Survivors: A Review of the Literature" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 34(4) 337-349. Abstract

Latham, A. and Prigerson, H. (2004) "Suicidality and Bereavement: Complicated Grief as a Psychiatric Disorder Presenting Greatest Risk for Suicidality" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 34(4) 350-362. Article

Lindqvist, P. (2008) "In the Aftermath of Teenage Suicide: A Qualitative Study of the Psychosocial Consequences for the Surviving Family Members" BMC Psychiatry 8(26). Article

McIntosh, J.L. (1996) "Survivors of Suicide: A Comprehensive Bibliography Update, 1986-1995" Omega 33(2) 147-175.

McIntosh, J.L. (2005) "Survivors of Elderly Suicide: Opportunities Lost" Surviving Suicide Winter 2005 (American Association for Suicidology).

McMenamy, J., Jordan, J., and Mitchell, A, (2008) "What do Suicide Survivors Tell Us They Need? Results of a Pilot Study" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 38(4) 375-389.

Mitchell, A. et al. (2009) "Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in Suicide Survivors: A Comparison of Close and Distant Relationships" Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 23 2-10.

Ness, DE and CR Pfeffer (1990) "Sequelae of Bereavement resulting from Suicide" American Journal of Psychiatry 147 279-285.

Piper, W.E. et al. (2001) "Prevalence of Loss and Complicated Grief among Psychiatric Outpatients" Psychiatric Services 52(8) 1069-1074.

Rubey, C. and McIntosh, J. (1996) "Suicide Survivor Groups: Results of a Survey" Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 26(4) 351-358 Abstract

Rudestam, K.E. (1992)"Research Contributions to Understanding the Suicide Survivor" Crisis 13(1) 41-46.

Sakinofsky, I. (2007) "The Aftermath of Suicide: Managing Survivors' Bereavement" Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 52(Supplement 1)129s-136s.

Stillion, J.M. (1996) "Survivors of Suicide" in K.J. Doka (Ed.), Living with Grief After Sudden Loss: Suicide, Homicide, Accident, Heart Attack, Stroke Washington, DC: Hospice Foundation of America, 41-51

van der Wal, J., (1989-90) "The Aftermath of Suicide: A review of the Empirical Evidence" Omega 20 149-171.

Van Dongen, C.J. (1991) Experiences of family members after a suicide Journal of Family Practice

Wilson, A. & Clark, S. (2004) South Australian Suicide Postvention Project Report University of Adelaide.

For an overview of suicide loss support in Europe see "Suicide survivor activities, an international perspective" from the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) (2004; PDF). 

Dear Tony

It's very good and perfect answer

Hi Lillian,

Support groups of people who have the same experiences are always helpful. Social support per se is one of the most beneficial factors for the human being but even more so social support provided  from those who really understand the problem. The importance of social support we found in our paper on depression anxiety hostility....

Thank you everyone.  Gathering information on my dissertation on suicide bereavement support groups and What is the experience of adults who participate in a suicide bereavement group? Does the suicide support group help?.  I appreciate your responses.  

is hard work mourn group suicide , social stigma hinders therapy. family containment is possible in the first weeks of stress inoculation , then is also difficult to work in the household.