Citation

Brent DA, Perper JA, Moritz G, Allman C, Schweers J, Roth C, Balach L, Canobbio R, Liotus L. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 1993; 32(3): 509-517.

Affiliation

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8496113

Abstract

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.

Language: en