Da. Brent et al., PSYCHIATRIC SEQUELAE TO THE LOSS OF AN ADOLESCENT PEER TO SUICIDE, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(3), 1993, pp. 509-517
Objective: This study was designed to learn whether friends and acquai
ntances of suicide victims were at increased risk for depression, post
-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal behavior after exposure to su
icide. Method: The social networks of 26 adolescent suicide victims, c
onsisting of 146 adolescents, were interviewed 7 months after the deat
h of the suicide victim and compared with 146 matched, unexposed contr
ols. Results: The rates of these disorders that had onset after exposu
re were elevated in the exposed group vs. controls: major depression,
post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation with a plan or an at
tempt, but not suicidal attempts. Almost all of those exposed youth wh
o developed new-onset suicidality did so in the context of a new-onset
depressive episode. The majority of these new-onset depressive disord
ers began within 1 month of exposure. Conclusion: Postvention programs
not only should focus on the prevention of imitation of suicidal beha
vior, but also should provide longer term follow-up for potentially be
reaved and depressed youth exposed to suicide.