The use of social media after bereavement by suicide: results from a French online survey

The study addresses how social media are used by people bereaved by suicide, a topic with limited empirical evidence. Prior research shows the internet and social media are transforming practices around dying and mourning, including memorialization and continuing bonds online. Suicide bereavement is associated with elevated risks for mental and physical health issues and is often complicated by stigma, social withdrawal, and barriers to care. Digital resources may provide accessible, nonjudgmental support. However, few studies have specifically examined social media use after suicide loss, the reasons for use, and expectations for online resources, particularly across age, gender, and relationship to the deceased. The authors hypothesized that bereaved parents, women, and younger adults might show distinct social media usage patterns. The objective was to evaluate social media use among French adults bereaved by suicide and assess their expectations of social media and online resources.

Background literature indicates that social media support contemporary grief practices, including online memorialization, continuing bonds, and community-building among mourners. Women have been reported to create more online memorials than men, while men may prefer avoidant coping and less open expression of grief. Youth social media use shows mixed associations with mental health across studies. Suicide exposure is not rare in the general population, and suicide bereavement is linked to higher risks of suicidal behaviors and mental disorders than other forms of bereavement. Stigma contributes to isolation and access barriers, making digital resources potentially valuable for support and information. Prior work suggests participation in online suicide bereavement forums is perceived as beneficial, but comprehensive data on social media usage patterns and expectations post-suicide loss remain scarce.

Design: National cross-sectional online survey (part of the ESPOIR₂S mixed-method, user-centered study following the Information System Research framework; reporting guided by CHERRIES). Timeline: July–October 2021. Participants: Adults bereaved by suicide, French-speaking; no exclusion by time since loss. Recruitment: Purposive snowballing via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and professional/associative mailing lists; convenience sample; no incentives. Instrument: Non-validated, 26-item online questionnaire (Lime Survey) developed by a multidisciplinary team based on a systematic review. Collected: (1) Sociodemographic and loss-related variables (age, gender, relation to deceased, time since loss, access to counseling, type of counseling); (2) Use of social media in daily life (frequency of internet and social media use, types of digital resources); (3) Perceived needs regarding suicide bereavement (Likert scale: not at all to extremely) across social support, professional counseling, peer support, meaning-making; (4) Use of social media related to the suicide loss (frequency, resource types, reasons, satisfaction); (5) Expectations for an online resource for people bereaved by suicide (type, technology, usage) and proposals. Sample size: Target 385 based on online survey estimation for a 95% CI and 5% margin of error. Data handling and analysis: Anonymous, complete cases only. Qualitative variables summarized with counts and percentages (chi-square for comparisons); quantitative variables as mean±SD (Student’s t test). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models assessed associations between reasons for social media use or expectations (reaching peers, obtaining information, seeking counseling, memorializing) and predictors: age (≤46 vs >46), gender, relationship to deceased (child vs others; partner vs others; parent vs others), duration of bereavement (<3 years vs ≥3 years), receiving counseling (yes/no), and frequency of social media use (occasional/weekly/daily). Two-tailed tests, p<0.05 significance. Software: SAS 9.2. Ethics and funding: Approved by University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Ethics Board (2021-01-12-04). Funded by Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier (CSRN05) and Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique (IRESP-RSP2020-230791).

Sample characteristics (n=401): Mean age 45.7 (SD=12.7; range 18–80); 88.3% women. Relationship to deceased: child 33.2%, partner 14.7%, sibling 14.0%, parent 14.0%, other 24.2%. Duration of bereavement: <3 years 49.9%. Counseling during bereavement: 63.3%. Daily internet use: 92.5%; daily social media use: 77.6%. Use and benefits: 61.6% (247/401) used social media after the suicide loss; Facebook was most used (91.9% of users), followed by WhatsApp (15.8%) and Instagram (13.0%). Of users, 61.6% found social media beneficial or very beneficial; 6.6% reported nonbeneficial. Users vs non-users: Users were more often bereaved by a child (40.5% vs 21.4%; p<0.001), bereaved <3 years (60.7% vs 33.1%; p<0.001), and receiving counseling (68.0% vs 55.8%; p=0.014). Reasons for use: Reaching peers 76.5%; memorializing/honoring 58.3%; finding information 49.4% (on suicide 38.9%; on suicide bereavement 41.3%); announcing the death 39.7%; finding where to access counseling 6.1%; reaching professionals 4.0%; receiving online counseling 1.2%; chatting with a mental health professional 4.0%. Multivariate associations with use (OR, 95% CI): • Bereaved parents (lost a child): more likely to reach peers (5.62, 1.91–16.48; p=0.002) and obtain information (3.80, 1.61–8.94; p=0.002). • Bereaved partners: more likely to obtain information (3.68, 1.40–9.64; p=0.008); less likely to memorialize (0.24, 0.09–0.64; p=0.005). • Bereaved by a parent: less likely to memorialize (0.32, 0.11–0.94; p=0.038). • Younger (≤46): more likely to memorialize (2.06, 1.01–4.20; p=0.046). • Duration <3 years: less likely to memorialize (0.43, 0.24–0.77; p=0.005). • Less frequent daily social media users were less likely to contact peers (0.18, 0.04–0.75; p=0.002) but more likely to seek counseling (16.27, 2.79–94.95; p=0.002). • No significant associations with gender or receiving counseling for reasons of use. Expectations about online resources: 73.1% rated existing online resources as insufficient (no difference between users and non-users: 75.3% vs 69.5%). Non-users were more likely to want a dedicated social media platform for suicide-bereaved (65.6% vs 45.4%; p<0.001). Among users, top expectations: finding information (80.2%) and facilitating access to peers (71.3%). Multivariate associations with expectations: • Receiving counseling: greater expectation to access peers (2.45, 1.27–4.71; p=0.007) and to find information (2.52, 1.20–5.30; p=0.015). • Women: more likely to expect information (2.78, 1.04–7.40; p=0.042). • Bereaved parents: more likely to expect to find counseling (2.79, 1.19–6.54; p=0.019). • Bereaved partners: less likely to expect memorialization (0.20, 0.07–0.55; p=0.002). • No differences by age, duration of bereavement, or daily social media use for expectations.

Findings show that social media are commonly used by adults bereaved by suicide, primarily to connect with peers and to memorialize the deceased, addressing the study’s aim to characterize use patterns and expectations. Subgroup differences highlight that bereaved parents particularly seek peer connection and information, likely reflecting high support needs after child loss. Younger adults’ greater use for memorialization suggests evolving, digitally mediated mourning practices and continuing bonds online. Early in bereavement, social media use is more frequent, indicating a potential window for timely support and information delivery. Despite expectations in prior literature, no gender differences emerged in actual use or reasons for use, possibly due to sample composition or indicating that social media may lower traditional barriers to expressing grief. Expectations emphasize needs for reliable information and peer access, and those already in counseling appear especially motivated to leverage online resources. Overall, results support integrating social media into postvention strategies as complementary tools for information dissemination, peer support, and memorialization, while noting heterogeneity by relationship to the deceased and bereavement timing.

This large French online survey indicates that many suicide-bereaved adults use social media in their grief, mainly for peer connection and memorialization. Younger individuals are more likely to memorialize online, aligning with shifting mourning practices in the digital age. Bereaved parents show distinct needs and usage patterns, particularly for peer contact and information. Social media can be a valuable adjunct to traditional supports and could be leveraged to improve reach and wellbeing among the suicide-bereaved. Future work should: (1) longitudinally track social media use across bereavement phases and anniversaries; (2) rigorously evaluate evidence-based, ethical social media interventions; (3) tailor resources for high-need subgroups (e.g., bereaved parents, youth); and (4) foster collaborations between clinicians, researchers, and social media platforms to design safe, culturally sensitive resources.

Cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Sample predominantly female, potentially limiting generalizability and reducing power to detect gender differences. Only adults were included; no data on children/adolescents who may use social media differently and face distinct risks. Conducted in France; cultural/contextual generalizability may be limited. Online survey recruitment may introduce selection bias toward frequent internet/social media users, as reflected by high daily use rates.