Karen Angela Dunne-Maxim, 80
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Karen Angela Dunne-Maxim, 80, a former long-time resident of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, passed away on Wednesday December 30, 2020 in Arlington, VA. Ms. Dunne-Maxim, a psychiatric nurse by training, was an internationally-recognized expert in suicide prevention and a tireless advocate for destigmatizing loss by suicide. She was a pioneer in recognizing the need for and addressing the unique mental health treatment needs of the survivors (family, friends, and colleagues) of a suicide who were often left alone to deal with the most profoundly difficult of all bereavement experiences. She was one of three editors of the groundbreaking book, “Suicide and Its Aftermath: Understanding and Counseling Survivors” (W. W. Norton & Company, 1987), which is still relied on as a resource by mental health professionals today. Ms. Dunne-Maxim was one of the founders of American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide in 1987 — the first of its kind, national organization for research, education, and advocacy related to suicide prevention, which now has chapters in all 50 states. She was also President of the American Association of Suicidology (1999-2000).