Modes of death, including death by suicide, sudden or unexpected death, and violent death, have demonstrated that survivors often experience higher rates of complicated grief. Differentiation in grief reactions between specific types of suicide may provide insight into the grief experience of the suicide bereaved. No such differentiation appears in the literature. Using the theoretical framework of Durkheim's theory of suicide and social integration and Kubler-Ross's stages of grief, data were gathered from 50 adult participants who were randomly assigned to watch one of two movies that depicted either traditional or altruistic suicide to determine if differences existed in the severity of grief reactions to each type of suicide. Participants completed the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), and a Participant Information Sheet. Age, gender, ethnicity, and religion were analyzed as covariates to determine the extent to which they impacted grief. Analysis of variance demonstrated that the grief reaction of those bereaved by altruistic suicide had a less severe grief reaction that those bereaved by traditional suicide, which supports the hypothesis that significant differences do exist in grief reactions within the suicide bereaved population. The covariates of age, gender, ethnicity, and religion were not significant to the severity of grief reactions. Implications for positive social change include decreased risks of complicated grief and improved overall quality of life for survivors of those who have died under these circumstances.
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