Suicide after bereavement: an overlooked problem

Abstract

Background. To examine the effect of time on suicide after bereavement among widowed persons.Method. The data were extracted from Swiss mortality statistics for the period [1987][1988][1989][1990][1991][1992][1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005]. The time between bereavement and subsequent death, specifically by suicide, was determined by linkage of individual records of married persons. The suicide rates and the standardized mortality ratios in the first week/month/year of widowhood were calculated based on person-year calculations.Results. The annualized suicide rates in widowed persons were highest in the first week after bereavement : 941 males and 207 females per 100 000. The corresponding standardized mortality ratios were approximately 34 and 19 respectively. In the first month(s) after bereavement, the rates and the ratios decreased, first rapidly, then gradually. Except in older widows, they did not reach the baseline levels during the first year after bereavement.Conclusions. The suicide risk of widowed persons is increased in the days, weeks and months after bereavement. Widowed persons are a clear-cut risk group under the aegis of undertakers, priests and general practitioners.

Increased risk of death immediately after losing a spouse: Cause-specific mortality following widowhood in Norway

“…In the week following widowhood, a study from Finland reported a relative risk for ischemic heart disease of 2.3 for men and 3.5 for women (Kaprio et al, 1987), and suicide rates in Switzerland have also been reported to be highest in this period (Ajdacic-Gross et al, 2008). These findings correspond well with ours.…”

“…In the United States, extremely high suicide rates were observed among widowed men under 50 years of age (Luoma and Pearson, 2002); in Denmark, the majority of older persons who commit suicide are widowed (Erlangsen et al, 2004); and in Switzerland, suicide risk was shown to be increased in widowed individuals (Ajdacic-Gross et al, 2008). However, the small number of deaths due to causes like suicide create a challenge when trying to pinpoint the excess risk a few days after widowhood.…”

Events Prior to Completed Suicide: Perspectives of Family Survivors

“…This is significant given that those bereaved by suicide are at a substantially higher risk of suicide themselves (Ajdacic-Gross et al, 2008;Department of Health, 2010;Krysinska, 2003). Therefore strategies to support and understand those affected are integral to suicide prevention.…”

E-Mental Health Care Among Young Adults and Help-Seeking Behaviors: A Transversal Study in a Community Sample

“…We repeated analyses weighing factors associated with study participation to verify the robustness of our results after correction for selection bias [49]. Then we compared traditional service use between participants who used online information versus those who did not with bivariate chi-square tests.…”