Impact of suicide on wives – A study in Kerala, India

Coming to terms with the death of a loved one is one of life’s most challenging journeys. When it is suicide, family members and friends can experience an even more complex kind of grief. While trying to cope with the pain of their sudden loss, they are overwhelmed by feelings of blame, anger and incomprehension. Adding to their burden is the stigma that still surrounds suicide. The present paper tries to analyse the impact of suicide on the life of the wife who is left behind. Qualitative study has been conducted in 10 families in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where the husbands committed suicide. The paper brings to lights the grief, the guilt of the women who has lost their husband, their fear about future compounded with the stigma attached by the society. It ends by a few suggestions such as how survivors of suicide and their friends can help each other and themselves by gaining an understanding of grief after suicide.