Experiences of student affairs professionals who lead institutional responses to a student death by suicide

Abstract

This phenomenological study was designed to explore the experiences of student affairs professionals who lead institutional responses to student death by suicide. Although there is extensive research to advise higher education professionals in suicide prevention and postvention, there is little existing research to support and guide the professionals asked to navigate the aftermath when a student dies by suicide. Purposive sampling was conducted to yield five participants who engaged in two semi-structured interviews to share their experiences. Participants also shared their institution’s student death protocols for additional data analysis. The research was grounded in Kolb’s theory of experiential learning and the concept of secondary trauma. Findings indicated that participants experience a strong focus on the families of the deceased students, the experience is allconsuming, and they simultaneously navigate many groups of people as they execute the student death protocols. Recommendations for higher education include appropriate authority, additional supports, and better protective measures for responding professionals