Complicated Grief in Survivors of Suicide

Abstract

Complicated grief is a newly defined and distinctive psychiatric disorder that occurs in response to a significant loss through death. New findings suggest that survivors who were close to the deceased are at heightened risk for complicated grief. Little is known about whether close kinship (spouses, parents, children, siblings, vs. in-laws, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, friends, or coworkers) to a suicide victim also represents a heightened risk for complicated grief. Assessing for complicated grief is important, especially with survivors of suicide, because of the potential for associated health risks. This report contains preliminary data from an exploratory, descriptive pilot study examining complicated grief in adult survivors of suicide. Sixty bereaved subjects, within one month after the suicide of a family member or significant other, were assessed for complicated grief symptoms. Statistically significant differences, as measured with the Inventory of Complicated Grief, were noted between closely related and distantly related survivors of the suicide victim. These preliminary results indicate that health care professional's assessments and interventions for complicated grief should take into consideration the bereaved's familial and/or social relationship to the deceased. The closely related survivors of suicide had higher levels of complicated grief and could be at risk of developing physical and/or mental health problems, including suicidal ideation, in the future.

Prolonged grief symptomatology following violent loss: the mediating role of meaning

“…For example, Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), which is a protracted, clinically significant, and functionally impairing form of grief, is experienced by 10–15% of those grieving a non-violent death (Lundorff, Holmgren, Zachariae, Farver-Vestergaard, & O’Connor, 2017; Prigerson et al, 2009) as compared with 30–70% of those grieving a violent death (McDevitt-Murphy et al, 2012; Mitchell, Kim, Prigerson, & Mortimer-Stephens, 2004; Momartin, Silove, Manicavasagar, & Steel, 2004; Shear, Jackson, Essock, Donahue, & Felton, 2006). PGD has been differentiated from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and post-loss depression (Boelen & Van Den Bout, 2005; Bonanno et al, 2007; Lichtenthal, Cruess, & Prigerson, 2004).…”

Revisão: comportamento suicida ao longo do ciclo vital

“…Considera-se que mais de 50% dos adolescentes que se suicidaram eram acometidos de depressão maior e, destes, 25% cometeram alguma tentativa prévia de suicídio, com 15% de indivíduos consumando o ato (Gómez et al, 2002). No que abrange as variáveis ambientais, as adversidades familiares se apresentam como principal risco de suicídio (Mitchell & Kim, 2004;Reyes & Torres, 2001). Entre as variáveis emocionais, aponta-se a repressão emocional, tristeza, necessidade de afeto, busca por valorização, baixa autoestima, sentimentos de culpa e inferioridade, timidez, violência e restrição social como fatores potencialmente de risco a comportamentos suicidas (Campo et al, 2003).…”

Factores de riesgo familiares asociados a la conducta suicida en adolescentes con trastorno depresivo

“…Se estima que entre 2% y 12% de la población joven ha tratado quitarse la vida 3 , constituyéndose en un motivo frecuente de consulta en salud mental 10,11 y en un grave problema para la salud pública 9 .…”

“…La investigación sobre los factores de riesgo para el intento suicida adolescente ha establecido una relación con desórdenes psiquiátricos 1,3,9,12 , como con la adversidad familiar 3 .…”