TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Survey – Please Respond By October 31st
If you are a family or friend grieving the death of a service member or Veteran, you have a unique perspective on what families need, where support systems fall short and how communities can better care for survivors.
If you are a family or friend grieving the death of a service member or Veteran, you have a unique perspective on what families need, where support systems fall short and how communities can better care for survivors.
The National Suicide Survivor Survey is a research initiative designed to elevate the voices of suicide loss survivors and help inform the future of suicide prevention, bereavement support and postvention—support provided after a suicide death.
For more than 30 years, TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) has provided compassionate care and comprehensive resources to families grieving the death of a service member or Veteran.
For survivors, suicide loss often carries complexities that deserve greater understanding. Survivors may navigate difficult questions surrounding their loved one’s death, changes in relationships, barriers to accessing support and the lasting impact of grief on their lives.
The National Suicide Survivor Survey will provide the data we need to serve survivors better.
Developed through a research collaboration involving TAPS, the Navy SEAL Foundation and the University of Memphis, the survey invites survivors to share:
Observation before their loved one’s death
Support received afterward the death
Challenges encountered
Resources that have been most helpful in life following their loss.
The knowledge gained through this research could inform how military, Veteran, healthcare and community organizations respond to suicide loss.
Survey findings will help develop survivor-informed recommendations focused on strengthening outreach to bereaved families, improving access to appropriate care, identifying gaps in existing support systems and advancing effective suicide postvention practices.
For the Veteran community, these insights are especially important.
TAPS invites adults 18 and older who have experienced the death of a loved one by suicide to participate in the National Suicide Survivor Survey.
The survey takes approximately 12 to 25 minutes to complete, and every question is optional.
Whether a loss occurred two years ago or decades ago, each perspective can contribute to a more complete understanding of a survivor’s experience.
To learn more or participate in the National Suicide Survivor Survey, visit taps.org/nslss_2026.
The survey closes Oct. 31, 2026.