Psychiatric sequelae to the loss of an adolescent peer to suicide.
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.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Brent
D A
DA
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Perper
J A
JA
Moritz
G
G
Allman
C
C
Schweers
J
J
Roth
C
C
Balach
L
L
Canobbio
R
R
Liotus
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention