Familia, suicidio y duelo

Introduction Death is an event that always breaks into family life in a surprising way. Of all the deaths, suicide is the one which more strongly questions the functionality of a family and increases the risk of difficulties in the mourning process. Families in which a suicide has occurred are exposed to a greater possibility of disintegration, disorganization and pathological expressions in their members. Objective To present a reduced and circumscribed narrative revision, restricted to examine the relationship between suicide and the mourning process in the family. Results The suicide of a loved one is an event that may contribute to pathological grief and mental dysfunctions in surviving relatives. Conclusions Death in the family is a natural phenomenon. However, death by suicide is one of the phenomena that can generate more alterations in the structure and organization of the family, due to the difficulty related to the mourning process.