Around New England

Suicide, Mental Illness, Drug Use Becoming Less Taboo in Obituaries

May 29, 2018

Recent obituaries are becoming increasingly candid about how a loved on died, even if it was by suicide or drug use or connected to mental illness.

A story in Seven Days details one Burlington, Vermont man’s decision to disclose in the obit that his 57-year-old wife killed herself after three years of struggling with depression and anxiety and eventually psychosis.

Another obit last month noted that a 35-year-old woman struggled with mental illness.

Family members say they are hoping to lessen the stigma attached to suicide and mental health problems.


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