Losing a loved one to homicide: prevalence and mental health correlates in a national sample of young adults.
The present study examined the prevalence, demographic distribution, and mental health correlates of losing a loved one to homicide. A national sample of 1,753 young adults completed structured telephone interviews measuring violence exposure, mental health diagnoses, and loss of a family member or close friend to a drunk driving accident (vehicular homicide) or murder (criminal homicide). The prevalence of homicide survivorship was 15%. African Americans were more highly represented among criminal homicide survivors. Logistic regression analyses found that homicide survivors were at risk for past year posttraumatic stress disorder (OR = 1.88), major depressive episode (OR = 1.64), and drug abuse/dependence (OR = 1.77). These findings highlight the significant mental health needs of homicide survivors.
Zinzow
Heidi M
HM
Department of Psychology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA. hzinzow@clemson.edu
Rheingold
Alyssa A
AA
Hawkins
Alesia O
AO
Saunders
Benjamin E
BE
Kilpatrick
Dean G
DG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology