# Engagement in meaningful activities post suicide loss: A scoping review

## TL;DR

This review explores how meaningful daily activities are discussed in the literature on suicide bereavement and highlights their importance for health and healing.

## Contribution

The study is the first scoping review to systematically map the discussion of meaningful activities in suicide bereavement literature.

## Key findings

- 112 studies were included, using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.
- Meaningful activities are discussed in three components: activities of daily living, engagement status, and associated meaning.
- References to meaningful activities are often in the background, not central to research aims.

## Abstract

Globally, more than 720,000 people die by suicide each year, leaving grieving individuals in their wake. Research indicates that individuals who lose a loved one to suicide face heightened risks for negative health outcomes. Recent studies show that taking part in meaningful activities can help protect health emphasizing the importance of exploring engagement in meaningful activities of everyday living among those bereaved. Currently, there has not been a review of the bereavement literature exploring the nature of, and extent to which, meaningful activities of everyday living are discussed.

To explore the nature of, and extent to which the peer-reviewed, suicide bereavement literature addresses engagement in meaningful activities of everyday living.

A scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute’s framework was completed to summarize and map the literature. Four electronic databases were searched for two concepts: suicide and bereavement. Studies were screened using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers completed title and abstract, and full text screening for each article. All conflicts were resolved through discussion or by a third reviewer. Data were charted, summarized and results were reported using the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews.

12372 studies were identified; 112 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies used qualitative (n = 90), quantitative (n = 10) and mixed (n = 12) methods. Findings indicate that the suicide bereavement literature discusses engagement in meaningful activities of everyday living using three main components: activities of everyday living, the engagement status of activities, and the meaning associated with activities.

While references to meaningful activities of everyday living appear in the bereavement literature, they typically are discussed within the background rather than central research aims. There is a need to bring this discussion to the forefront and view engagement in meaningful activities of everyday living as an important aspect of suicide bereavement.