Short- to mid-term clinical outcomes and return to sport and work after arthroscopic debridement of the extensor carpi radialis brevis in patients with chronic lateral epicondylopathy.

Every year, more than 720,000 people worldwide die by suicide (World Health Organisation, ). Each suicide is estimated to affect roughly 135 people on average, although the number of people whose lives are permanently altered by traumatic experiences and losses remains unknown (Cerel et al., ). In this article, a person who has lost a family member to suicide is referred to as a . Most suicides occur in prehospital settings, where ambulance personnel may withhold resuscitation or terminate resuscitation efforts on the scene in accordance with the guidelines (Mentzelopoulos et al., ). However, termination or withholding of resuscitation does not automatically mean that the bereaved family member is considered as a patient. In the event of death, ambulance personnel are responsible for pronouncing death (Risson et al., ), whereas a medical practitioner is usually responsible for issuing the death certificate (World Health Organisation, ). When delivering a death notification, two perspectives are critical: that of the notifier and that of the recipient (De Leo et al., ). The professionals most commonly tasked with the delivery of death notifications are doctors, police officers, and registered nurses (De Leo et al., ). Previous research has highlighted the emotional and professional challenges associated with such encounters. In an interview study, police officers described feeling helpless and frustrated when confronted with suicide, as they were unable to make sense of the event or provide help (Koch, ). According to doctors, registered nurses, and police officers, the delivery of a death notification following a violent or unexpected death is particularly challenging, often evoking feelings of inadequacy and emotional strain (De Leo et al., ). Suicide is consistently ranked among the most emotionally demanding causes of death for professionals such as police officers, victim advocates, chaplains, social workers, and psychologists to handle (Stewart et al., ). For police officers, delivering a death notification is perceived as a significant burden (Hofmann et al., ), whereas general practitioners (GPs) and emergency medical service providers often report discomfort when notifying and interacting with bereaved families (Foggin et al., ; Smith-Cumberland & Feldman, ; Tataris et al., ). GPs have described feeling unprepared to meet parents bereaved by suicide (Foggin et al., ). Among police officers, two of the most frequently reported critical incidents are the delivery of death notifications and responses to suicides involving adults (Møller et al., ). Despite these challenges, training and procedures for delivering death notifications remain insufficient (Campos et al., ; De Leo et al., ; Foggin et al., ; Risson et al., ; Stewart et al., ; Tataris et al., ). Unpreparedness for delivering death notifications and encountering bereaved family members may lead to anxiety, avoidance, and emotional distancing among ambulance personnel. Mentzelopoulos et al. () emphasises the need for further research to identify how ambulance personnel can best be prepared and supported in managing patient death within the prehospital context.