Stigma and psychological distress in suicide survivors.
Suicide bereavement is frequently related to clinically significant psychological distress and affected by stigma. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between psychological distress by psychopathological domains and stigma, in a sample of individuals bereaved by suicide (suicide survivors).



The data were collected between January 2012 and December 2014 and included information on sociodemographic variables (gender, age, marital status and education level) and responses to the Stigma of Suicide Survivor scale (STOSSS) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). One hundred and fifty-five suicide survivors completed the evaluation and were included in the study.



Levels of psychological distress in suicide survivors, as measured by BSI, were positively related to levels of perceived stigma toward suicide survivors, as measured by STOSSS. The association was not affected by age and gender, or by marital status, education level, days from suicide or a personal history of suicide attempt. Participants with higher scores on almost all subscales of the BSI, particularly the interpersonal sensitivity and paranoid ideation subscales, reported the highest levels of perceived stigma toward suicide survivors.



Levels of distress in subjects bereaved by the suicide of a relative or friend were positively associated with levels of perceived stigma toward suicide survivors. Specific interventions dedicated to the bereavement of suicide survivors might help to alleviate not only psychological distress but also stigma towards loss by suicide.
Soproxi Project, via Vesalio 10, Padova, Italy; Mental Health Department, via Buzzaccarini 1, ULSS 6 Euganea, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: scocco.paolo@virgilio.it.
Paolo
P
Scocco
Genneruxi Medical Center, via Costantinopoli 42, 09129 Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: apreti@tin.it.
Antonio
A
Preti
Soproxi Project, via Vesalio 10, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: info@soproxi.it.
Stefano
S
Totaro
Soproxi Project, via Vesalio 10, Padova, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Ferrari
Soproxi Project, via Vesalio 10, Padova, Italy; Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166 A, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: elena.toffol@thl.fi.
Elena
E
Toffol
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057545:Social Stigma; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Distress; Sensitivity; Stigma; Suicide; Surviving; Survivor