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Psychiatric sequelae to the loss of an adolescent peer to suicide
D A Brent1, J A Perper, G Moritz
1Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Objective:
This study was designed to learn whether friends and acquaintances of suicide victims were at increased risk for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal behavior after exposure to suicide.
Method:
The social networks of 26 adolescent suicide victims, consisting of 146 adolescents, were interviewed 7 months after the death of the suicide victim and compared with 146 matched, unexposed controls.
Results:
The rates of these disorders that had onset after exposure were elevated in the exposed group vs. controls: major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation with a plan or an attempt, but not suicidal attempts. Almost all of those exposed youth who developed new-onset suicidality did so in the context of a new-onset depressive episode. The majority of these new-onset depressive disorders began within 1 month of exposure.
Conclusion:
Postvention programs not only should focus on the prevention of imitation of suicidal behavior, but also should provide longer term follow-up for potentially bereaved and depressed youth exposed to suicide.