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A recent review by researchers from NIHMANS has underlined the profound and long-lasting impact of suicides among children and adolescents on both bereaved parents and mental health professionals, while calling for stronger, structured support systems.
The paper, titled “The impact of suicidal deaths of children and adolescents among parents and mental health professionals: A systematic review and meta-synthesis”, has been published in the British Psychological Society journal - Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. It draws on an analysis of 25 studies to examine shared and distinct experiences of grief.
Bino Thomas, additional professor of Psychiatric Social Work at NIMHANS, who is one of the authors, told The Hindu that the loss of a child to suicide leaves both families and clinicians grappling with unanswered questions.
“After months of therapy, there is always a relationship that mental health professionals build with children. When a child dies by suicide, it leaves us with questions- whether we did enough, whether we missed something, what went wrong,” he said.
He pointed out that such losses often bring emotional strain for professionals as well. “There is a belief that doctors do not feel pain, but we do. We regulate our emotions, but the grief is real,” he said, stating that in some cases, parents and therapists grieve together, which can help make sense of the loss.
Shared grief, different contexts
The study finds that parents experience intense and prolonged grief marked by guilt, self-blame, and a persistent search for answers. Many struggle with stigma and isolation, while their mental health vulnerabilities may increase over time.
At the same time, mental health professionals experience a parallel emotional burden. The death of a client can trigger self-doubt, fear of blame, and questions about professional competence. “Losing a client challenges our core belief that we should be able to keep every child safe,” Dr. Thomas said.
The review also highlights that predicting suicide remains complex and uncertain, with clinicians often unable to foresee outcomes despite careful assessment.
Gaps in support systems
The review points to gaps in postvention- support provided after a suicide- for both parents and professionals. While some support mechanisms exist, they are often fragmented or short-lived.
“For professionals, support systems are available, but they need to be actively used- through colleagues, mentors, and supervisors,” Dr. Thomas said. He stressed that younger practitioners, in particular, must be encouraged to seek guidance rather than suppress their distress. “Pushing away grief does not make it disappear,” he said.
For families, the challenge is more acute. “Support often ends with the child’s death, but the grief and guilt continue. Many parents find it difficult to return to the same system for help,” he said.
Need for continuity of care
The researchers have called for integrated, trauma-informed approaches that ensure continuity of care for bereaved families, along with structured institutional support for professionals. They emphasised that parents should be engaged as active participants in their child’s mental health care with transparent communication on suicide risk, while postvention support must be long-term, flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of families rather than confined to the immediate aftermath.
At the same time, institutions need to create non-judgmental and reflective spaces for mental health professionals to process grief, strengthen supervision and peer-support systems- particularly for younger practitioners- and put in place clear protocols to support clinicians in the event of a client’s suicide.
Dr. Thomas said NIMHANS has initiated family-based programmes and support groups for parents across the country, with participation varying each week. “We need to continue holding the hands of these parents even after the loss. Postvention cannot be an afterthought- it is as important as prevention,” he added.
English (US) ·