Background: Families are profoundly impacted when a member attempts suicide. While much research has focused on the needs of parents and adult carers, little is known about how young people experience this trauma. Young people with a suicidal family member face unique risks, including heightened distress, guilt, and increased vulnerability to suicidality. Understanding their lived experiences is essential to shaping family-centred suicide prevention responses.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was undertaken with nine young people aged 17–30 who had a close family member attempt suicide. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants represented diverse family relationships, including siblings, parents, and extended kin.
Results: Four interrelated themes were identified: Fundamentally rocked – participants described the attempt as a seismic disruption to their lives, leading to shock, confusion, and a “new normal”; I’m responsible, it’s up to me – many felt overwhelming responsibility for their family member’s safety and for supporting siblings and parents, often at the expense of their own wellbeing; Moving both towards and away from help (for me) – young people struggled to seek support for themselves, delaying or disengaging from services despite significant distress; Families coming together – while many families avoided conversations, those who engaged in open dialogue or professional family support found this transformative in promoting connection and healing.
Conclusions and implications: This is the first qualitative study to centre the voices of young people affected by a family member’s suicide attempt. Findings highlight the urgent need for co-designed, family-inclusive interventions that: validate young people’s experiences; build skills for open and supportive family communication; provide peer-based support networks; and ensure accessible, youth-friendly services across settings such as schools, aftercare, and digital platforms.
By amplifying young people’s lived experiences, this research aligns with the conference theme United Voices, Brighter Futures—showing how inclusion and dialogue can foster resilience and hope. Supporting young people as carers and family members is critical to strengthening whole-of-family suicide prevention.