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. 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.