Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

The use of social media in the aftermath of a suicide: Findings from a qualitative study in England

Bell, Jo; Bailey, Louis

Authors

Louis Bailey



Contributors

Thomas Niederkrotenthaler
Editor

Steven Stack
Editor

Abstract

e research draws on the experiences of bereaved individuals who utilize Facebook to memorialize loved ones who have died by suicide. Aspects of the research have been published elsewhere. In Bailey et al. (2014), we explore how the use of social media in the aftermath of a suicide contributes to the continuing social presence of the deceased and how this, in turn, facilitates continuing bonds between the deceased and the bereaved. In Bell et al. (2015), we expand on this to explore the impact of continuing bonds on the grieving process. We show how the online identity of the deceased evolves and, simultaneously, how the online activity of mourners shifts over time. In this chapter, we highlight the benefits and constraints of Facebook use in the aftermath of a suicide. While we have touched on this in previous articles (Bailey et al., 2014 and Bell et al., 2015), this topic has yet to be explored in detail.

Citation

Bell, J., & Bailey, L. (2017). The use of social media in the aftermath of a suicide: Findings from a qualitative study in England. In T. Niederkrotenthaler, & S. Stack (Eds.), Media and Suicide International Perspectives on Research, Theory, and Policy (75-86). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351295246

Online Publication Date Jul 28, 2017
Publication Date Apr 18, 2017
Deposit Date May 28, 2019
Publisher Taylor and Francis
Pages 75-86
Book Title Media and Suicide International Perspectives on Research, Theory, and Policy
Chapter Number 6
ISBN 9781351295239; 9781412865081
DOI https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351295246
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1859292
Publisher URL https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351295246