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The broken heart: suicidal ideation in bereavement
Margaret Stroebe1, Wolfgang Stroebe, Georgios Abakoumkin
1Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. m.s.stroebe-harrold@fss.uu.nl
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|November 3, 2005
Summary
Bereaved individuals, especially widows, experience increased suicidal ideation. Emotional loneliness is a key factor, not social support, in this heightened risk during grief.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Grief Research
- Mental Health
Background:
- Bereavement is a significant life event associated with mental health challenges.
- Suicidal behavior is a serious concern within grieving populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine suicidal ideation in recently bereaved individuals.
- To compare suicidal ideation between bereaved and non-bereaved groups.
Main Methods:
- Compared 60 recently bereaved widows/widowers with 60 matched married individuals.
- Assessed suicidal ideation, emotional loneliness, and social support.
Main Results:
- Widowed individuals exhibited higher suicidal ideation than married individuals.
- Emotional loneliness, not social support, explained the increased risk in bereaved individuals.
- Social support reduced suicidal ideation for both married and bereaved groups.
Conclusions:
- Bereaved individuals face an elevated risk of suicidal ideation.
- Extreme emotional loneliness and severe depressive symptoms are linked to heightened suicidal ideation during bereavement.