Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T15:16:54.606Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Suicide-related bereavement and psychiatric morbidity in the elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Ciaran S Clarke  and
Margo Wrigley
Ciaran S Clarke
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry of Old Age, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, 61 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
Margo Wrigley
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry of Old Age, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, 61 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to determine whether elderly bereaved patients attending an old-age psychiatry service were more likely to have been bereaved through suicide than through other causes.

Methods: We studied the demographic and clinical profiles of all patients attending an old-age psychiatry service who had experienced the death of an adult child. We compared the causes of the deaths of their children with the most recent figures for the national population.

Results: Deaths from suicide among the children of the bereaved elderly were commoner than for the age-matched national population.

Conclusions: Suicide is more likely than other causes of death to lead to psychiatric morbidity in elderly parents. The needs of elderly survivors should be considered in formulating national strategies for suicide prevention. Further studies are needed on risk factors for complicated bereavement in the elderly.

Keywords

SuicideAgedBereavementGrief
Type
Brief Report
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 22 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Karam, EG, The nosological status of bereavement-related depressions. Br J Psychiatry 1994; 165: 48–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Kessler, R, The effects of stressful life events on depression. Ann Rev Psychol 1997; 48: 191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Ness, DE, Pfeffer, CR, Sequelae of bereavement resulting from suicide. Am J Psychiat 1990; 147: 279.Google ScholarPubMed
4.Norris, F, Murrell, S. Older adult family stress and adaptation before and after bereavement. J Gerontol 1987; 42: 606–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Prigerson, HG, Frank, E, Kasl, Set al.Complicated grief and bereavement-related depression as distinct disorders: preliminary empirical validation in elderly bereaved spouses. Am J Psychiat 1995; 152: 22.Google ScholarPubMed
6.Seguin, M, Lesage, A, Kiely, MC. Parental bereavement after suicide and accident: a comparative study. Suicide Life Threat Behav 1995; 25: 489–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Malkinson, R, Bar-Tur, L. The ageing of grief in Israel: a perspective of bereaved parents. Death Stud 1999; 23: 413–31.Google Scholar
8.Lesher, E, Bergey, K. Bereaved elderly mothers: changes in health, functional activities, family cohesion, and psychological well-being. Int J Ageing Hum Dev 1988; 26: 81–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Barry, LC, Kasl, SV, Prigerson, HG. Psychiatric disorders among bereaved persons: the role of perceived circumstances of death and preparedness for death. Am J Geriatr Psychiat 2002; 10(4): 447–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Arbuckle, N, de Vries, B. The long-term effects of later life spousal and parental bereavement on personal functioning. Gerontologist 1995; 35: 637–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Central Statistics Office, Skehard Road, Cork, 2001.Google Scholar
12.Charlton, RC. The onset of dementia following bereavement. Aust Fam Physician 1995; 24: 1233–6.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Grimby, A, Berg, S. Stressful life events and cognitive functioning in late life. Ageing 1995; 7: 35–9.Google ScholarPubMed
14.Bailley, SE, Kral, MJ, Dunham, K. Survivors of suicide do grieve differently: empirical support for a common sense proposition. Suicide Life Threat Behav 1999; 29: 256–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Barrett, TW, Scott, TB. Suicide bereavement and recovery patterns compared with nonsuicide bereavement patterns. Suicide Life Threat Behav 1990; 20: 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Jordan, J. Is suicide bereavement different? A reassessment of the literature. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2001; 31: 91–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Kivimaki, M, Vahtera, J, Elovainio, M, Lillrank, B, Kevin, M. Death or illness of a family member, violence, interpersonal conflict, and financial difficulties as predictors of sickness absence: longitudinal cohort study on psychological and behavioral links. Psychosomatic Med 2002; 64: 817–25.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Schwab, R. Gender differences in parental grief. Death Stud 1996; 20: 103–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Lundin, T. Long-term outcome of bereavement. Br J Psychiat 1984; 145: 424–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Ellenbogen, S, Gratton, F. Do they suffer more? Reflections on research comparing suicide survivors to other survivors. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2001; 31: 83–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Van Dongen, CJ. Experiences of family members after a suicide. J Fam Pract 1991; 33: 375–80.Google ScholarPubMed
22.Zisook, S, Devaul, RA, Click, MA Jr.Measuring symptoms of grief and bereavement. Am J Psychiatry 1982; 139: 1590–3.Google ScholarPubMed
23.Lehman, D, Wortman, C, Williams, A. Long-term effects of losing a spouse or child in a motor vehicle crash. J Pers Soc Psychol 1987; 52: 218–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Florian, V. Meaning and purpose in life of bereaved parents whose son fell during active military service. Omega 1989; 20: 91–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Bonanno, GA, Kaltman, S. Toward an integrative perspective on bereavement. Psychol Bull 1999; 125: 760–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Paterniti, S, Verdier-Taillefer, M-H, Dufouil, C, Alperovich, A. Depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in elderly people, longtitudinal study. Br J Psychiat 2002; 181: 406–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar