CSEC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL-BASED

ASSESSMENT
THE EMOTIONAL EFFECTS SUICIDE HAS
ON FAMILY

Name Vivia Levy

Subject English Language

Title the emotional effects of suicide on the victim's family

School Dinthill technical high school

Teacher miss Watson

Center no

Candidate

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

CSEC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT 1

Plan Of Investigation 3
Artifact 1 4
Artifact 2 8
Artifact 3
REFLECTION 1 10
REFLECTION 2 11
REFLECTION 3 12
Oral Presentation 13
Group Presentation 15
Reference 17

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 Plan Of Investigation

I have chosen the topic of suicide and the emotional effect it has on the victim's family. I
have chosen this topic to garner a better understanding of what families go through after
the passing of a loved one due to suicide.

As a student of English, I will benefit greatly as this will promote my critical thinking skills
whereby I reflect on an issue and reach better conclusions as well as build my research
skills.

I can also learn how to formulate and defend my own arguments with the use of
evidence and improve my overall writing skills. I plan to carry out this investigation with
information from credible sources e.g. newspaper articles, poems, and songs related to
the topic. I will use my analytical skills to analyze these materials so that the research
will be a success.

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 Artifact 1

Suicide , the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, is on the rise.1 In 2016,
nearly 45,000 Americans 10 or older died by suicide, up by 30% since 1999.1 An
individual’s death by suicide has far-reaching effects on a wide range of people,
including immediate and extended family, friends, acquaintances, and healthcare and
mental health professionals.2

“The grief after losing a loved one to suicide has points of commonality with grief
following other types of losses of loved ones, but it also has unique features,” Sidney
Zisook, MD, professor of psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, told Psychiatry
Advisor.

Shrouded in Silence

“Stigma is probably at the top of the list of issues that affect people bereaved by a loved
one’s suicide,” Dr Zisook said.

A literature review comparing suicide-bereaved (SB) families to other bereaved groups

found that SB families report higher levels of rejection, shame, stigma, the need to
conceal the loved one’s cause of death, and blaming.3 Stigma may derive from a
“societal perception that the act of suicide is a failure by the victim and the family to deal
with some emotional issue.”4 Stigma and shame are barriers to seeking help and
receiving support from mental health professionals as well as friends and family.

“I have treated people where a suicide in the family has never been acknowledged or
talked about,” Dr Zisook recounted.

He described a patient in his 70s who had lost his father to suicide when he was young,
but it was never mentioned or discussed by his family. “Finally, he was able to talk and
cry about it and regretted that he had never been allowed to talk about it until now and
that it had been shrouded in silence,” he said.

Guilt and Blame

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Feelings of guilt often overlap with shame, compounding the sense of stigma. SB
individuals often experience “intense guilt or feelings of responsibility for the death.”6

Although self-blame can be present after any loss, it is more common after a suicidal
loss, Dr Zisook observed. “There is a frequent feeling that you could or should have
done something to prevent it, and guilt is very common.”

Self-blame is one aspect of a broader tendency to find someone to blame for the
suicide, he noted.

“The survivor may blame the person who made the choice to die or may blame
someone else who didn’t do enough, didn’t provide enough care, didn’t return a phone
call, missed important cues, had an argument or disappointed the person, or could have
interrupted or prevented the death in some way. Or the survivor may blame the doctor
for missing signals, not treating depression, or prescribing the wrong drug,” Dr Zisook
said.

Self-blame is particularly strong when the deceased is an individual’s child.

“Losing any relative to suicide is traumatic, but there’s probably no greater nightmare
[than losing a child to suicide], since parents feel their job is to support their children,
care for them, make them happy, and make their lives good, so suicide can make
parents feel like a failure in this most important job of their lives,” he commented.

Rumination and Anger

Rumination is common in SB individuals and is unique compared with the responses of

bereaved individuals to other losses, Dr Zisook pointed out.

“When someone dies of cancer, relatives do not typically wonder why the person died,
while in suicide, survivors are plagued as to why the person did it — why, why, why,” he
said.

The suicide sometimes comes as a “total shock” to the survivors, who may think, “He
seemed to be doing better.” “She had turned her life around.” “He was making plans for
the future.”

Coupled with rumination are feelings of rejection and abandonment: “Why did she do
this to me?” “Didn’t he love me?” “How could she leave me?”

These feelings can lead to anger at the deceased,6 which can compound the guilt.

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Complicated Grief and Depression

Rumination contributes to complicated grief (CG), a “painful and debilitating

condition…characterized by prolonged, acute grief and complicating psychological
features such as self-blaming thoughts and excessive avoidance of reminders of the
loss.”7 Conversely, instead of avoiding reminders of the deceased, some SB people
may “spend long periods of time trying to feel closer to the deceased through pictures,
keepsakes, clothing, or other items associated with the loved one.”8 Left untreated, CG
can last for years, if not indefinitely.7 “Losing a loved one to suicide can be a risk factor
for CG,” Dr Zisook said.

“Mourning is the process by which bereaved people seek and find ways to turn the light
on in the world again. When successful, mourning leads people to feel deeply
connected to deceased loved ones while also [being] able to imagine a satisfying future
without them…Grief has been transformed and integrated” and the “continued presence
of the loss is no longer insistent and disruptive.”8

In contrast, CG is a “chronic impairing form of grief brought about by interference with

the healing process” that “derails” the mourning process and “prevents the natural
healing process from progressing.”8

Mental and Physical Health Sequelae

SB individuals are vulnerable to physical, psychological, and psychosomatic

difficulties.9 One study found that one-quarter of people bereaved by suicide experience
elevated levels of depression and stress and close to one-fifth have elevated levels of
anxiety,10 as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and impairment in social and
employment settings.6 Psychosomatic reactions included physical or severe abdominal
pain, loss of appetite, low energy levels, and sleep disruptions.10

Survivors are themselves at high risk for suicidal thoughts or completed suicide.11 A
study of 3432 young adults who had lost close friends or family members to suicide
found they had a higher probability of attempting suicide than individuals bereaved by
deaths due to sudden, natural causes. Of note, the effect of SB was similar regardless
of whether bereaved participants were or were not blood-related to the deceased.12

Impact on the Family Unit

The suicide of a family member leaves an indelible mark on the survivors, affecting
each individual, the family as a whole, and also larger social networks.13 The impact of
the suicide is to some extent informed by the family’s function or dysfunction prior to the

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suicide.13 Moreover, the suicide may affect family communication and the
developmental processes of children.13 Marital breakup is also more common in
parents of children who died by suicide.14

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Artifact 2
POEM WHY

Why

It's a question I ask myself every day.

It's a question I can't bear to say.

Why?

Did you think this was right?

Did you lose the fight?

Why?

Was the pain too much to take?

This decision did you make?

Know

I think of you a lot.

I miss you every day.

I count the moments until I can say,

I love you in every way.

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Artifact 3
Effects of Suicide on Family and Friends
Learning that a loved one has died by suicide can absolutely be traumatic. In addition to
all the feelings that anyone would feel about the death of a loved one, when the death is
a suicide, there are additional feelings like:

● Extreme guilt for not preventing the suicide

● Failure because a person they loved felt unloved and completed suicide
● Anger or resentment at the person who chose to take his or her own life
● Confusion
● Distress over unresolved issues (many of which often exist in families where one
person has a mental illness, which is common in people who die by suicide)

Suicide Effects on the Mental Health of Family and Friends

Unfortunately, friends and family of those who have completed suicide experience
impacts on their own mental health. In a Canadian study, parents who lost a child to
suicide typically have higher rates of depression, physical problems and low income
(often even before the child's suicide). Anxiety and divorce are very common effects on
parents after a child's suicide.

Another study showed that children of parents who completed suicide are at a
significantly increased risk of completing suicide themselves. The younger the child at
the time of the parent's suicide, the greater the risk of his or her own suicide.

Stigma and the Effects of Suicide in Family and Friends

When a person dies, societally, others generally offer empathy and compassion, but
when a person dies by suicide, there is a stigma around that death and people often
treat the loved ones of the person who committed suicide differently. Loved ones can be
very afraid to talk about the suicide for fear of judgment and condemnation – being
blamed for the suicide of their family member or friend. Because of this, one effect of
suicide on family and friends can be extreme isolation.

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 REFLECTION 1
The first artifact is a newspaper article retrieved from….and titled….and notes that
suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. The article explores
issues that affect people, in particular grieving family, who has lost another family
member by suicide. The article lists stigma, guilt, blame, rumination and anger,
complicated grief and depression, and mental and physical health as issues that
typically arise in bereaved loved ones. Stigma, the article notes affects
suicide-bereaved (SB) families as a society may perceive the death as a failure by the
victim and the family to deal with some emotional issue which can further impact the
mental health of families in mourning. Stigma also results in the feeling of guilt and
blame by bereaved family members who may feel that they could/should have done
something to prevent the occurrence. The article notes that this guilt and blame feeling
is even worse when the deceased is a child. Why is it also a common question asked by
bereaved family members as they deal with the issue of rumination and anger? Feelings
of rejection and abandonment are often paired with rumination and anger. They further
noted that complicated grief and mental health also impact these bereaved families. In
some instances, the mourners/survivors themselves commit suicide adding to the cycle
of grief and trauma. Suicide may affect each individual differently but as a family unit, it
may affect family communication and the developmental processes of children. The
article notes marital breakup is also more common in parents of children who died by
suicide.

My second artifact is a poem that I have downloaded from the internet and explores the
big question of WHY whenever someone dies as a result of suicide. From the questions
asked it is sensed that the writer is partially blaming themself which is typical of family
members impacted by suicide.

My third artifact is an online article I have also downloaded from the internet. This article
speaks about the different types of emotions family and friends go through after losing
someone through suicide extreme guilt, feeling like a failure, and anger but mostly
confusion. In a Canadian study, parents who lost a child to suicide typically have higher
rates of depression, physical problems, and low income A study shows that children
whose parents completed suicide are at an increased risk of completing suicide
themselves. The younger the child at the time of the parent's suicide, the greater the
risk of his or her own suicide. The article further explains that the families of suicide
victims are afraid to talk about their loved ones because they are afraid of being judged,
criticized, and blamed for the drastic actions of their family members or loved one

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 REFLECTION 2

My first artifact was written in Standard English. It was a very interesting and informative
article used to point out and give a very detailed explanation of my topic. Throughout
the article, the author uses a lot of repetition to cement his point. The author could be
described as sad and emotional while writing this article.
In my second artifact the question “Why” is asked on multiple occasions to
emphasize the writer's confusion as they ask themselves “ What could I have done
differently? “Why did I not see the signs? Why did you think this was the way to go?
These are a few of the questions I deciphered from the poem and show how the writer
is trying to cope with the loss. In the last stanza, the poet ensured to note that the
individual was loved and ruminates on how they are missed. The poet uses a lot of
repetition which creates beautiful rhymes. The use of emotional language and a
wonderful display of connotation brings out the writer's sadness and I can tell that the
writer is confused and in grief.
The third artifact was also a newspaper article written in Standard English The
article is an informative one giving more insight into the issue at hand. There were
several language devices used to enhance this point. The use of hyperbole brings out
the points and shows that this topic is a serious one. A sense of distaste is brought on
by the author and leaves readers emotional and with a better understanding.

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 REFLECTION 3

I had some idea of what to do when I was given this SBA, but I still consulted with my
teacher and classmates to get a better understanding. This research has benefited me
in a variety of ways.

One of the ways I have benefited from this is that my research skills have also shown
improvement. Unlike before I am now able to browse the internet for information a lot
quicker without being online for a long period.

Another way this has helped me is that my vocabulary has grown significantly. I've
learned a lot of new words and phrases, and I know how to use them properly. My
reading and writing abilities have also improved, resulting in better essay writing.

Finally, it has improved my time management skills. I devised novel strategies for
balancing my SBAs and practicals.

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 Oral Presentation

Subtopic :
Language: English
Genre: Speech
Source: Original
Reasons: I found this was easy to write and also showed how serious my topic was

Those Left Behind

Good day peers and teacher I am Vivia Levy from 11 Home Ec Tech. and today I will be
speaking about suicide and its effect on loved ones. The areas I will be covering are
what is suicide, what is grief and what is the connection between to two. What is
Suicide? Well according to several sources oxford dictionary and google as some
examples it is death caused by intentionally causing lethal bodily harm to oneself with
the intention of dying. What is Grief? While suicide is commonly known and easily
explained isn’t, Grief is the anguish experienced after a significant loss, usually the
death of a loved person. What do these two have in common before I tell you to take a
moment and imagine losing someone you care deeply about someone you love
someone you hold dear to your heart and now imagine losing the exact same person
but they committed suicide they were going through soo much they could not bear to
live like that.
The suicide of a loved one is often so sudden, shocking, and deeply disturbing it can
trigger a condition known as complicated grief. Why ? ....... is one of the questions
asked by families of suicide victims followed by how did I miss the signs. There is no
doubt that it can be upsetting to learn that a loved one committed suicide. When a loved
one commits suicide, people may experience intense sadness, shock, anger, frustration,
confusion, and isolation. Some people also mention feelings of shame or guilt, and
while this is a common reaction, it is important to remember that people who commit
suicide are frequently trying to stop feelings of distress that can feel as intense and real
as physical pain - the reasons for suicide are complex, grief is a compound feeling and
that no one word or sentence can summarize one's sense of losing a loved one. It’s a
process that oftentimes has bouts of guilt and remorse while trying to find trying to also
find comfort in the memories of a loved one. In conclusion, Suicide is devastating, and
the consequences for the family members and loved ones of those who have committed
suicide can be severe and far-reaching. Those left behind by suicide are often referred

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to as suicide survivors, and while this is a difficult situation to be in, it is possible to heal
and move forward.

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Group Presentation

My group members are:

Trishan Pinnock
Selena Facey
Vivia Levy
Allia Thomas
Kirk Palmer
The research of this SBA was completed with the use of the internet, documents and
sites. This SBA started with our teacher explaining the different parts of the English SBA
to us. When the teacher fully explained the SBA, we selected our group members, and
then our topic "Suicide" and each individual had the opportunity to choose a different
subtopic to research on. We then utilized the internet and chose different approaches to
support our main topic. Our group had a meeting, where we discussed our subtopics
and then choose the most suitable three to be reported on.
As a group, we looked through all the newspaper articles and talked about them but one
specific article relating to
suicide we decided to write about, this article describes suicide as having a mental,
emotional, and social impact on humans. We learned that Suicide has caused families
pain, unhealthy relationships, health problems caused by depression or anxiety, and
mental illnesses. We also found out that people take depressing thoughts to an entirely
different level which leads to suicidal thoughts that turn into action most times;
teenagers mainly exercise these acts to ease pain and maintain a certain lifestyle along
with mental health. We encourage young teens to always seek help when they begin to
overthink.
Secondly, as group members, we all had a poem, but there was one specific poem that
captures our attention the most, it spoke about the struggles and mourning that a teen
went through in his past when a loved one of his committed suicide due to lack of
support he granted to that person mentally and emotionally. Furthermore, we learned
that this resulted in him becoming attempted to commit suicide. The poem also
indicates that the person was without a friend or supporter with an arm to lean on. Our
research also stated that everything would have been fine if someone was just there for
his friend to talk to; he wished and wished but knew none of his wishes would come
through to save his loved one from committing suicidal actions which caused death. By
reading this poem we all would like to encourage others to always try to find a friend
when he or she has a hard time sharing our problems.

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Thirdly, we as group members listened to a song by the name of "Lullaby" that grasp our
attention the most, the song represents how a person can control or overcome suicidal
thoughts. This song taught us that love can make someone less prone to harm their
selves and people should seek if he or she is having a hard time in the household or
otherwise. A lullaby is one way that was suggested in the song to help and reduce
suicidal thoughts; just give life another chance it stated in the lyrics; we think that’s a
very good thing to think of when going through intense situations that may cause
extreme trauma. We conclude that trauma may cause people to always not want to be
alone, so we want to let others know to always find a friend they can rely on.
As a group, we were happy that we did this research and We had learned so much
about "Suicidal Factors". Now that we have learned so much we can help others who
are going through the same problem and we can point them to where they can get help.
As a group, we decided to say no to suicidal thoughts and attempts and to also find the
right methods to overcome it.

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 Reference
https://www.healthyplace.com/suicide/effects-of-suicide-on-family-members-loved-ones

https://dying.lovetoknow.com/ideas-advice-coping-grief/suicide-poems-help-grief-healing

https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/suicide-and-self-harm/those-left-behind-working
-with-suicide-bereaved-families/

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