The Effect of Bereavement Due to Suicide on Survivors' Depression: A Study of Chinese Samples

Abstract

The affective effect of suicide on people around is assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and some correlates are examined to identify characteristics of the bereaved individuals who score high on depression. We used the informants of 66 suicides as subjects for study and the informants of 66 living people as the control group. For each suicide and living person, we interviewed two informants: one family member and one friend. Data collection was accomplished in China in the summer of 2003. Results indicate that the bereaved people (informants of the suicides) are more likely to experience depression than those people in the control group. The closer the relationship to the suicide, the higher the degree of depression. While the survivor's education and income are negatively correlated with his or her depression level, neither age nor gender is a predictor of depression in the sample. Given the strong relationship between suicide and depression, the bereaved survivors of suicide could be a high risk group of suicide. Further and larger study is warranted to investigate more details of the high risk group so as to recommend prevention measures.

Suicidal Ideation and Distress in Family Members Bereaved by Suicide in Portugal

“…It has also been reported that unemployment is a risk factor for suicide (Marmot, 2013;Mortensen, Agerbo, Erikson, Qin, & WestergaardNielsen, 2000;Koskinen et al, 2002;Platt, & Hawton, 2000;Qin et al, 2003) and that financial problems, which may be related to unemployment and low educational level, are mentioned by persons who have attempted suicide (Hall et al, 1999). In addition, the literature mentions that family members bereaved by suicide, namely spouses, present high levels of depression (Kessing, Agerbo, & Mortensen, 2003;Li & Zhang, 2010;Zhang, Tong, & Zhou, 2005), that the suicide of a younger relative may be associated with higher levels of distress (Séguin, Lesage, & Kiely, 1995), and that time elapsed since suicide predicts the presence of mental disorders (Saarinen, Hintikka, Lehtinen, Lö nnqvist, & Viinamäki, 2002) and complicated grief (Newson et al, 2011;Piper, Ogrodniczuk, Azim, & Weideman, 2001) in suicide individuals bereaved by suicide, which can, in turn, be associated with suicide risk. Gorman (2008-2009) reported that a period of 3 to 5 years since the death usually marks the turning point leading to a decrease in grief pain, whereas Murphy, Johnson, Wu, Fan, and Lohan (2003) found that 3 to 4 years is the turning point in the acceptance of loss.…”

Personal and Collective Resilience Building- A Suicide Prevention Program for Schools Using Positive Psychology. Consultancy Project for an Irish Secondary School

“…Not surprisingly, depression has been cited as a major problem after losing a loved one to suicide, and the closer the relationship the longer and more severe the effect [22] which is a worrying find considering well documented long historical links with suicide to depression [7]. Further, as many as 28 people can be bereaved by the loss of each single person to suicide.…”

Distress in Portuguese Family Members Bereaved by Suicide: An Exploratory Study

“…3 Mitchell et al, 2009;Zhang, Tong, & Zhou, 2005), anxiety (e. g., Brent, Moritz, Bridge, Perper, & Canobbio, 1996;Mitchell et al, 2009) and suicidal ideation (e. g., Cerel & Roberts, 2005;Kuramoto, Stuart, Runenson, Lichtenstein, Långström, & Wilcox, 2010) as well as risk behaviours (Cerel & Roberts, 2005). The literature also suggests that survivors may be particularly vulnerable to complicated grief (de Groot , et al, 2006;Dyregrov, Nordanger, & Dyregrov, 2003).…”