J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.  2015 Dec;26(4):266-272. 10.5765/jkacap.2015.26.4.266.

Impact of Peer's Suicide on Mental Health of Adolescents

• Kang NR
• Chung US
• Kwack YS

• KMID: 2172729
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.2015.26.4.266

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study examined the impact of peer's suicide on mental health of middle-school students. The aim of this study was to describe the course of posttraumatic stress and grief reaction, suicide ideation, and depression score among adolescents after exposure to peer's suicide and to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress and other mental health scores in these subjects.
METHODS
Thirty seven middle school students who were exposed to the suicidal death of a peer completed self-report measures to assess levels of depression, grief reaction, post-traumatic stress, and suicide ideation at 1 month and 8 months after the peer's suicide.
RESULTS
There was no significant change in mental health scores between 1 month and 8 months. Level of posttraumatic stress after 8 months was related to acute grief response. Subjects who experienced a clinically significant level of suicidal ideation and posttraumatic stress showed more mental health problems.
CONCLUSION
The results suggested that peer's suicide strongly impacted mental health issues of adolescents at a critical time of adolescent development. Clinicians should perform a thorough evaluation of mental health problems for youth who experienced peer's suicide and help them in management of their grief reaction.

Keyword

Peer's Suicide; Grief; PTSD

MeSH Terms

Adolescent Development
Adolescent*
Depression
Grief
Humans
Mental Health*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide*