Lived Experience of Suicide in Suicide Researchers

Abstract: Background: Previous studies have highlighted the importance of including people with lived experience of suicide in research, yet no previous study has investigated lived experience of suicide among suicide researchers themselves. Aims: This pilot study aims to conduct a preliminary assessment of lived experience of suicide among suicide researchers in Canada. Method: A survey was disseminated via email to 70 Canadian suicide researchers and their teams, resulting in 120 potential participants, of which 32 responded. Demographics and details of lived experience with suicide and suicide-related thoughts and behaviors across self, social, and professional domains were collected. Descriptive statistics were reported on variables of interest. Results: Among 32 respondents, 93.8% reported at least one type of lived experience with suicide. Specifically, 19 (59.4%) reported self-lived experience, 27 (84.4%) reported social-lived experience, and 13 (40.6%) reported professional lived experience. Most participants had “hidden” lived experiences choosing to never (47.2%) or rarely (36.1%) disclose them in professional settings. Limitations: The relatively small sample size reduced the precision of findings. Additionally, the low survey completion rate may reflect reluctance among individuals with hidden lived experience to participate due to stigma, and ascertainment bias (i.e., those with lived experience may have been more likely to respond). Conclusion: These pilot findings must be cautiously interpreted given potential for response bias. Nevertheless, they reveal substantial lived experiences of suicide among suicide researchers which often remains hidden in professional settings. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.