A grieving father whose daughter took her own life has set up a support group to help others who have been bereaved by suicide.

Chris Gibbons’s 25-year-old daughter, Jessica, committed suicide on April 3 at her family home in Devonshire

Mr Gibbons told The Royal Gazette that he hoped the group would provide a “safe place” for those affected by suicide to speak openly and to share experiences.

The group, which Mr Gibbons has called Loss — Losing Someone by Suicide — will meet for the first time on Wednesday at the Solstice building in Hamilton.

“As far as I am aware, there is nothing specific out there for people who have lost family or close friends as a result of suicide,” Mr Gibbons said.

“Every type of death has its own complexities and dynamics and only someone who has had the same experience will understand what you are going through.

“With suicide comes a lot of unanswered questions. It can be a very isolating experience.

“It is only six months since Jess’s death but there are times when I really want to talk about it, and my hope is that this group will provide other people who have been affected by suicide that outlet and confidential forum.”

Each year in Britain, more than 6,000 people take their own life, while in the United States suicide is the tenth leading cause of death.

However, statistics relating to suicide in Bermuda are not made public.

Mr Gibbons says he plans initially for the support group to meet on a weekly basis for a 90-minute session at the Solstice building on Pitts Bay Road.

“We will see how it goes and it could be the case that we will end up meeting on a monthly basis,” he said. “The important thing is that we establish the group and see how it goes.

“The idea of forming Loss came about as a result of a blog I wrote, about what I was going through after Jess’s death.

“I was surprised by the number of people who wrote to me, commented on the post or even stopped me in the street, saying they had been through a similar experience.

“I was even more surprised at how many of these people had not talked about their own situation before.

“It made me feel there was a need in Bermuda for this group.”

Loss has also drawn inspiration from the UK’s Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide and the American Foundation for Suicide Protection. The Bermuda group is open to anyone over 16 who has lost a friend or family member as a result of suicide.

“We also hope to improve public awareness of suicide and strive to remove the stigma and shame associated with suicide that can make it difficult to talk about and leaves those bereaved feeling isolated,” Mr Gibbons said. “We hope people turn up to our first meeting and the group grows organically.”

The group’s first meeting will begin at 5.30pm on Wednesday.

•To find out more, contact Chris Gibbons on 333-9002 or gib.chris@gmail.com, or Steve O’Reilly at steve@solstice.bm