ORCID

Abstract

This thesis explores the experiences of those bereaved by student suicide within higher education (HE) learning communities in the United Kingdom. While increasing attention has been given to student mental health and suicide prevention, the experiences of those left behind, both students and staff, remain under-researched, often silenced by stigma, and insufficiently understood in policy and practice. This study seeks to address this gap by centring the voices of the suicide-bereaved and examining how grief is experienced and navigated within HE contexts.The research adopts a praxeological methodological framework, understanding knowledge as emerging through practice, relationships, and reflexive engagement. Data were generated through a flexible approach, with semi-structured conversational interviews and research engagement spanning two years. The researcher’s experiences and reflections are also positioned as data, acknowledging the co-constructed and relational nature of the research process. This methodology enabled participants to shape how, where, and in what form their experiences were shared, foregrounding ethics of care, participant agency, and emotional safety throughout.Findings highlight the complex, relational nature of suicide bereavement within HE. Key themes include a delay in experiencing or re-experiencing grief, the persistence of stigma and silence and the policing of language, questioning entitlement to grief, and uncertainty surrounding institutional responsibilities in responding to suicide loss. At the same time, participation in the research was often, and unexpectedly experienced as therapeutic, providing space for reflection and validation highlighting potential benefits in bereavement research. The importance of trust, relationships, and researcher positionality is also evident in enabling meaningful engagement with sensitive experiences.This thesis contributes to both empirical and methodological knowledge by offering a nuanced account of suicide bereavement in HE and demonstrating the value of praxeology for ethically responsive research. The findings carry important implications for policy and practice, particularly in the development of postvention strategies that are informed by the lived experiences of bereaved individuals. It argues for greater recognition of suicide bereavement within university communities and calls for shifts from silence to dialogue, from assumption to understanding, and from institutional response to relational care; recommending the development of informed, compassionate postvention practices grounded in lived experience, ensuring that those left behind are not only acknowledged, but meaningfully supported.

Awarding Institution(s)

University of Plymouth

Supervisor

Suanne Gibson, Harriet Dismore

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2026

Embargo Period

2026-11-11

Deposit Date

November 2026

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Download

Share

COinS