What is known about the health service use and follow-up of immediate family members bereaved by suicide? Scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide remains a major public health issue around the world. People bereaved by suicide are a vulnerable group who are at considerable risk of developing mental and physical health problems, such as complicated grief, post-traumatic stress disorder or cardiovascular disease. Many unanswered questions remain, in particular, in terms of their use of healthcare services. This protocol describes how we aim to systematically scope the existing literature on the professional follow-up and health service use by families bereaved by suicide. The scoping review will help to identify research gaps in the literature and aid in the planning and commission of future research. We will provide a summary of research findings.

Methods and analysis: We will use the scoping review framework provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews will be used as a guide for reporting our results. We plan to conduct an extensive literature search using relevant health-related databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL) and Web of Science. Two independent reviewers will screen the articles in a two-stage process: (1) titles and abstracts and (2) full-text documents.

Ethics and dissemination: This scoping review will identify and consider only previously published research. Hence, no ethical approval is considered necessary. We will disseminate the results in a scientific journal and at conferences, as well as through user organisations for people bereaved by suicide and social media.