Suicidal Ideation in Bereavement: A Systematic Review

Nicolette Molina, Martin Viola, Madeline Rogers, Daniel Ouyang, James Gang, Heather Derry, Holly G Prigerson, Nicolette Molina, Martin Viola, Madeline Rogers, Daniel Ouyang, James Gang, Heather Derry, Holly G Prigerson

Abstract

Background: Bereavement is associated with impaired mental health, increases in adverse health behaviors, and heightened risk of suicidal ideation, attempts, and death by suicide. The purpose of this literature review was to explore associations between cause of death and suicidal thoughts among bereaved individuals. Our aim was to compare incidence of suicidal ideation by cause of death and identify gaps in this literature to guide future research and clinical intervention. Methods: PRISMA-P guidelines were used to structure an electronic literature search in the PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Web of Science databases. The search focused on English language studies that were published before February 2019 and sought to compare rates of suicidal ideation among bereaved people who lost a loved one to suicide, accidental overdose, cancer, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and HIV/AIDs. Results: Ten articles were identified with suicide as cause of death, zero articles for accidental overdose, zero articles for cardiovascular disease, eight articles for cancer, one article for dementia, and one article for HIV/AIDs. Given the limited number of articles generated by our search, a formal meta-analysis was not appropriate. However, a comparison of results did suggest that suicide bereavement was associated with the highest rates of suicide ideation (14.1% to 49%). Stigma, isolation, avoidance behaviors, and psychological distress were associated with suicidal thoughts among bereaved individuals, regardless of the deceased's cause of death. Conclusions: Findings of this literature search revealed significant gaps in the literature, especially regarding thoughts of suicide in bereaved survivors of accidental overdose and cardiovascular disease. Results suggest that multiple causes of death are associated with suicidal ideation in bereavement, but that suicide bereavement may be the cause of death associated with the highest risk of suicidal ideation. More research is needed to understand the ways in which cause of death influences prevalence, risk, and protective factors associated with suicidal thoughts among bereaved individuals.

Keywords: AIDS; HIV; accidental overdose; bereavement; cancer; cardiovascular disease; caregivers; dementia; grief; suicidal ideation.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of search process guided by the PRISMA statement [15].

References

    1. Trevino K.M., Maciejewski P.K., Fasciano K., Greer J., Partridge A., Kacel E.L., Block S., Prigerson H.G. Coping and psychological distress in young adults with advanced cancer. J. Support. Oncol. 2012;10:124–130. doi: 10.1016/j.suponc.2011.08.005.
    1. Carey I.M., Shah S.M., DeWilde S., Harris T., Victor C.R., Cook D.G. Increased Risk of Acute Cardiovascular Events after Partner Bereavement: A Matched Cohort Study. JAMA Intern. Med. 2014;174:598–605. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.14558.
    1. Stroebe M., Schut H., Stroebe W. Health outcomes of bereavement. Lancet. 2007;8:1960–1973. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61816-9.
    1. Shear M.K., Skritskaya N.A. Bereavement and anxiety. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 2012;14:169–175. doi: 10.1007/s11920-012-0270-2.
    1. Cole M.G., Dendukuri N. Risk factors for depression among elderly community subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am. J. Psychiatry. 2003;160:1147–1156. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.6.1147.
    1. Prigerson H.G., Horowitz M.J., Jacobs S.C., Parkes C.M., Aslan M., Goodkin K., Raphael B., Marwit S.J., Wortman C., Neimeyer R.A., et al. Prolonged grief disorder: Psychometric validation of criteria proposed for DSM-V and ICD-11. PLoS Med. 2009;6 doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000121.
    1. Stroebe M., Stroebe W., Abakoumkin G. The broken heart: Suicidal ideation in bereavement. Am. J. Psychiatry. 2005;162:2178–2180. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.11.2178.
    1. Guldin M.B., Ina Siegismund Kjaersgaard M., Fenger-Grøn M., Thorlund Partner E., Li J., Prior A., Vestergaard M. Risk of suicide, deliberate self-harm and psychiatric illness after the loss of a close relative: A nationwide cohort study. World Psychiatry. 2017;16:193–199. doi: 10.1002/wps.20422.
    1. Wright A.A., Keating N.L., Balboni T.A., Matulonis U.A., Block S.D., Prigerson H.G. Place of Death: Correlations with Quality of Life of Patients with Cancer and Predictors of Bereaved Caregivers’ Mental Health. J. Clin. Oncol. 2010;28:4457–4464. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.26.3863.
    1. Wright A.A., Zhang B., Ray A., Mack J.W., Trice E., Balboni T., Mitchell S.L., Jackson V.A., Block S.D., Maciejewski P.K., et al. Associations Between End-of-Life Discussions, Patient Mental Health, Medical Care Near Death, and Caregiver Bereavement Adjustment. JAMA. 2008;300:1665–1673. doi: 10.1001/jama.300.14.1665.
    1. Abbott C.H., Prigerson H.G., Maciejewski P.K. The influence of patients’ quality of life at the end of life on bereaved caregivers’ suicidal ideation. J. Pain Symptom Manag. 2014;48:459–464. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.09.011.
    1. Pitman A., Rantell K., Marston L., King M., Osborn D. Perceived Stigma of Sudden Bereavement as a Risk Factor for Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Attempt: Analysis of British Cross-Sectional Survey Data on 3387 Young Bereaved Adults. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2017;14:286. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14030286.
    1. Feigelman W., Gorman B.S., Jordan J.R. Stigmatization and Suicide Bereavement. Death Stud. 2009;33:591–608. doi: 10.1080/07481180902979973.
    1. Xu J.Q., Murphy S.L., Kochanek K.D., Bastian B., Arias E. Deaths: Final Data for 2016. National Center for Health Statistics; Hyattsville, MD, USA: 2018. p. 67. National Vital Statistics Reports.
    1. Moher D., Shamseer L., Clarke M., Ghersi D., Liberati A., Petticrew M., Shekelle P., Stewart L.A. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Syst. Rev. 2015;4:1. doi: 10.1186/2046-4053-4-1.
    1. Pitman A.L., Osborn D.P.J., Rantell K., King M.B. Bereavement by suicide as a risk factor for suicide attempt: A cross-sectional national UK-wide study of 3432 young bereaved adults. BMJ Open. 2016;6:e009948. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009948.
    1. Cerel J., Roberts T.A. Suicidal behavior in the family and adolescent risk behavior. J. Adolesc. Health. 2005;36:352.e8–352.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2004.08.010.
    1. Mitchell A.M., Kim Y., Prigerson H.G., Mortimer M.K. Complicated Grief and Suicidal Ideation in Adult Survivors of Suicide. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2005;35:498–506. doi: 10.1521/suli.2005.35.5.498.
    1. De Groot M., Neeleman J., van der Meer K., Burger H. The Effectiveness of Family-Based Cognitive-Behavior Grief Therapy to Prevent Complicated Grief in Relatives of Suicide Victims: The Mediating Role of Suicide Ideation. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2010;40:425–437. doi: 10.1521/suli.2010.40.5.425.
    1. Williams J.L., Eddinger J.R., Rynearson E.K., Rheingold A.A. Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Ideation in a Treatment-Seeking Sample of Violent Loss Survivors. Crisis. 2018;39:377–385. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000520.
    1. Kõlves K., Zhao Q., Ross V., Hawgood J., Spence S.H., de Leo D. Suicide and other sudden death bereavement of immediate family members: An analysis of grief reactions six-months after death. J. Affect. Disord. 2019;243:96–102. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.09.018.
    1. Song I.H., Kwon S.W., Kim J.E. Association Between Suicidal Ideation and Exposure to Suicide in Social Relationships Among Family, Friend, and Acquaintance Survivors in South Korea. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2015;45:376–390. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12158.
    1. Santos S., Campos R.C., Tavares S. Suicidal ideation and distress in family members bereaved by suicide in Portugal. Death Stud. 2015;39:332–341. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2014.946626.
    1. Reynolds W.M. Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ) Psychological Assessment Resources; Odessa, FL, USA: 1987.
    1. De Groot M., Kollen B.J. Course of bereavement over 8-10 years in first degree relatives and spouses of people who committed suicide: Longitudinal community based cohort study. Br. Med. J. 2013;347:f5519. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f5519.
    1. Templeton L., Valentine C., McKell J., Ford A., Velleman R., Walter T., Hay G., Bauld L., Hollywood J. Bereavement following a fatal overdose: The experiences of adults in England and Scotland. Drugs Educ. Prev. Policy. 2017;24:58–66. doi: 10.3109/09687637.2015.1127328.
    1. Abbott C.H., Prigerson H.G., Maciejewski P.K. Caregivers’ perception of advanced cancer patients’ quality of death: Impact on caregiver suicidal ideation in bereavement. J. Clin. Oncol. 2013;31(Suppl. 15):9522.
    1. Song J.I., Shin D.W., Choi J., Kang J., Baek Y., Mo H., Seo M., Hwang Y.H., Lim Y., Lee O.K. Quality of life and mental health in the bereaved family members of patients with terminal cancer. Psycho-Oncology. 2012;21:1158–1166. doi: 10.1002/pon.2027.
    1. Peteet J.R., Maytal G., Rokni H. Unimaginable loss: Contingent suicidal ideation in family members of oncology patients. Psychosomatics. 2010;51:166–170. doi: 10.1016/S0033-3182(10)70677-0.
    1. Barrett T.W., Scott T.B. Development of the grief experience questionnaire. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1989;19:201–215. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278X.1989.tb01033.x.
    1. Houck J.A. A Comparison of Grief Reactions in Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Suicide Bereavement. J. HIV/Aids Soc. Serv. 2007;6:97–112. doi: 10.1300/J187v06n03_07.
    1. Pfeffer C.R., Karus D., Siegel K., Jiang H. Child survivors of parental death from cancer or suicide: Depressive and behavioral outcomes. Psycho-Oncology. 2000;9:1–10. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1611(200001/02)9:1<1::AID-PON430>;2-5.
    1. O’Dwyer S.T., Moyle W., Zimmer-Gembeck M., De Leo D. Suicidal ideation in family carers of people with dementia. Aging Ment. Health. 2016;20:222–230. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1063109.
    1. Rosengard C., Folkman S. Suicidal ideation, bereavement, HIV serostatus and psychosocial variables in partners of men with AIDS. AIDS Care. 1997;9:373–384. doi: 10.1080/713613168.
    1. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Health Data: Suicide Rates 2016. [(accessed on 11 March 2018)]; Available online: .
    1. Song J.I., Shin D.W., Choi J.Y., Kang J., Baik J.Y., Mo H., Park M.H., Choi S.E., Kwak J.H., Kim E.J. Quality of life and mental health in family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer. Support. Care Cancer. 2011;19:1519. doi: 10.1007/s00520-010-0977-8.
    1. Bailley S.E., Kral M.J., Dunham K. Survivors of suicide do grieve differently: Empirical support for a common sense proposition. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1999;29:256.
    1. Cvinar J.G. Do Suicide Survivors Suffer Social Stigma: A Review of the Literature. Perspect. Psychiatr. Care. 2005;41:14–21. doi: 10.1111/j.0031-5990.2005.00004.x.
    1. Jordan J.R. Is Suicide Bereavement Different? A Reassessment of the Literature. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2001;31:91–102. doi: 10.1521/suli.31.1.91.21310.
    1. Sheehan L., Corrigan P.W., Al-Khouja M.A., Lewy S.A., Major D.R., Mead J., Redmon M., Rubey C.T., Weber S. Behind Closed Doors: The Stigma of Suicide Loss Survivors. Omega. 2018;77:330–349. doi: 10.1177/0030222816674215.
    1. Reed M.D., Greenwald J.Y. Survivor-victim status, attachment, and sudden death bereavement. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1991;21:385–401.
    1. Pitman A.L., Osborn D.P.J., Rantell K., King M.B. The stigma perceived by people bereaved by suicide and other sudden deaths: A cross-sectional UK study of 3432 bereaved adults. J. Psychosom. Res. 2016;87:22–29. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.05.009.
    1. Wilcox H.C., Kuramoto S.J., Lichtenstein P., Langstrom N., Brent D.A., Runeson B. Psychiatric morbidity, violent crime, and suicide among children and adolescents exposed to parental death. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry. 2010;49:514–523.
    1. Burrell L.V., Mehlum L., Qin P. Risk factors for suicide in offspring bereaved by sudden parental death from external causes. J. Affect. Disord. 2017;222:71–78. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.06.064.
    1. Rostila M., Saarela J., Kawachi I. Suicide following the death of a sibling: A nationwide follow-up study from Sweden. BMJ Open. 2013;3:002618. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002618.
    1. Joiner T.E. Why People Die by Suicide. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, MA, USA: 2005.
    1. Garssen J., Deerenberg I., Mackenbach J.P., Kerkhof A., Kunst A.E. Familial risk of early suicide: Variations by age and sex of children and parents. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2011;41:585–593. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278X.2011.00050.x.
    1. Schulz R., Sherwood P.R. Physical and mental health effects of family caregiving. J. Soc. Work Educ. 2008;44:105–113. doi: 10.5175/JSWE.2008.773247702.
    1. Stone R., Cafferata G.L., Sangl J. Caregivers of the frail elderly: A national profile. Gerontologist. 1987;27:616–626. doi: 10.1093/geront/27.5.616.
    1. Freeman A., Mergl R., Kohls E., Székely A., Gusmao R., Arensman E., Koburger N., Hegerl U., Rummel-Kluge C. A cross-national study on gender differences in suicide intent. BMC Psychiatry. 2017;17:234. doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1398-8.
    1. Jalal H., Buchanich J.M., Roberts M.S., Balmert L.C., Zhang K., Burke D.S. Changing dynamics of the drug overdose epidemic in the United States from 1979 through 2016. Science. 2018;361:eaau1184. doi: 10.1126/science.aau1184.

Source: PubMed

Sponzoři a spolupracovníci

Zdravotní podmínky

Drogové intervence

3
Předplatit