Prevalence of exposure to suicide: a meta-analysis of population-based studies.
Open accessAbstract
Those exposed to suicide are at increased risk of adverse outcomes including mental illness, impaired social functioning, and fatal and non-fatal suicidal behavior. However, it is unclear how many people are exposed to suicide in the general community. This first meta-analysis of population-based studies aimed to provide pooled estimates of past-year and lifetime prevalence of exposure to suicide among family, friends/peers, and all relationships. In addition, the study examined prevalence of exposure to suicide by age group: adolescents and adults. Systematic searches of the literature in Embase, Medline and PsycINFO identified eighteen studies that were included in the analysis. Pooled past-year prevalence was 4.31% (CI: 2.50 to 6.58) and life-time prevalence 21.83% (CI: 16.32 to 27.90). Both past-year and lifetime prevalences of exposure to suicide among friends and peers were significantly higher than the prevalence of exposure within families; there were no differences in the prevalence of exposure to suicide between adolescents and adults. Heterogeneity was highly significant. Future research should be conducted with large national representative samples and use standardised assessment instruments. Given the increased risks of adverse outcomes among those exposed to suicide, the high rate of exposure to suicide reported here has important ramifications for public health and mental health service delivery.
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Research has largely focused on suicide risk among bereaved relatives, though less is known about how many people are exposed and need support in the broader household or about their overall mortality risk from nonsuicide causes.
“Research has largely focused on suicide risk among bereaved relatives,2,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 though less is known about how many people are exposed and need support in the broader household19 or about their overall mortality risk from nonsuicide causes.9,26,27,28”
From Mortality Risk Following a Household Suicide (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
Most evidence comes from high-income countries, where more robust health systems may buffer harms.
“Most evidence comes from high-income countries,2,9,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,26,27,28 where more robust health systems may buffer harms.”
From Mortality Risk Following a Household Suicide (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
Few population-based studies have examined these outcomes.
“However, few population-based studies have examined these outcomes.17,19”
From Mortality Risk Following a Household Suicide (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
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References 60 · Cited by 230
- Authors
- Andriessen, K., Rahman, B., Draper, B., Dudley, M., & Mitchell, P. B.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Mitchell, Philip B.
- Venue
- Journal of Psychiatric Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-05
- Volume
- 88
- Pages
- 113-120
- ISSN
- 0022-3956 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2584877471
- Cited by
- 230
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 3.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Psychiatric Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
- Lirias (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Anika Foundation for Adolescent Depression and Suicide
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Keywords
- suicide exposure, suicide contagion, suicide prevention, prevalence, family exposure, adolescents, adults, lifetime prevalence, mental health outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Female, Humans, Male, Risk Factors, Suicide, Attempted, Prevalence, Databases, Bibliographic, Community Health Planning, Suicidal Ideation
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