Help shape the future of suicide loss support
TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, is inviting people who have lost a loved one to suicide to take part in the National Suicide Survivor Survey. The research initiative is designed to gather the experiences of suicide loss survivors and use them to inform suicide prevention, bereavement support and postvention, which means support provided after a suicide death. It is open to adults 18 and older who have experienced the death of a loved one by suicide.
TAPS says it has spent more than 30 years providing care and resources to families grieving the death of a service member or Veteran, regardless of the cause of death. That history matters here because suicide loss often carries added complexity. Survivors may face difficult questions about their loved one's death, changes in their relationships, barriers to getting support and the lasting weight of grief. TAPS notes that the perspectives of the people closest to the loss are too often missing from the research and conversations that shape services, programs and policies.
The survey was developed through a research collaboration involving TAPS, the Navy SEAL Foundation and the University of Memphis. It asks survivors what they observed before their loved one's death, what support they received afterward, what challenges they ran into and which resources have helped them since. The source highlights the value of hearing from surviving spouses, parents, children, siblings, fellow service members and other loved ones. In other words, participation is not limited to one type of relationship, though it is aimed at those who have lost someone to suicide.
On the practical details, the survey takes approximately 12 to 25 minutes to complete, and every question is optional. Participants are encouraged to share only what they feel comfortable sharing. The source does not list a closing date, compensation or other eligibility conditions beyond age and the experience of a suicide loss, so anyone interested should rely on TAPS for current details.
The findings are intended to produce survivor-informed recommendations. These focus on strengthening outreach to bereaved families, improving access to appropriate care, identifying gaps in existing support systems and advancing effective postvention practices. The research could inform how military, Veteran, healthcare and community organizations respond to suicide loss. TAPS also points out that prevention and postvention are deeply connected, and that what survivors have learned may offer perspective on warning signs and opportunities for intervention.
For disabled veterans, this reaches in more than one direction. Many of us have lost a fellow service member, a friend or a family member to suicide, and some of us are the family members now trying to make sense of that kind of loss. Others of us carry the weight of service-connected conditions and know how hard it can be to reach for help. Support after a suicide death is part of the broader benefits and care picture, and it only improves when the people who have lived it are heard. Nothing in the source describes changes to VA benefits, but research like this can shape how organizations design outreach and care.
If you have lost someone to suicide and feel ready, consider taking the survey through TAPS, and remember that you can skip any question and share only what feels right. If you are not ready, that is a valid choice, and you can still lean on peers, a chaplain, a counselor or your local Veterans Service Organization for support. If you are in crisis or worried about someone else, the Veterans Crisis Line is available by dialing 988 and pressing 1. Please also pass this along to a fellow veteran or family member who may want to contribute.