Agonizing questioning: experiences of survivors of suicide victims

Adult survivors were asked about their perceived life experiences 3 to 9 months after the suicide death of a family member. Thirty-five subjects participated in in-depth interviews. A constant comparative method of analysis yielded a core variable of "agonizing questioning". Subjects' questioning behavior was evident through their-descriptions of emotional turmoil, cognitive dissonance, physical disturbances, and altered socialization. Evidence of beginning to resolve the loss was apparent among subjects who had achieved some understanding of why the suicide had occurred or recognized that there were no answers to their questions.