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Cited by 291Grief, Bereavement, and Mental HealthSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesDeath, Funerary Practices, and Mourning

Suicide bereavement and complicated grief

Open access
Tal Young, Ilanit, Iglewicz, Alana, Glorioso, Danielle, Lanouette, Nicole, Seay, Kathryn, Ilapakurti, Manjusha, Zisook, Sidney·2012·Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
DOI 10.31887/dcns.2012.14.2/iyoungPMC PMC3384446
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Abstract

Losing a loved to suicide is one is one of life's most painful experiences. The feelings of loss, sadness, and loneliness experienced after any death of a loved one are often magnified in suicide survivors by feelings of quilt, confusion, rejection, shame, anger, and the effects of stigma and trauma. Furthermore, survivors of suicide loss are at higher risk of developing major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal behaviors, as well as a prolonged form of grief called complicated grief. Added to the burden is the substantial stigma, which can keep survivors away from much needed support and healing resources. Thus, survivors may require unique supportive measures and targeted treatment to cope with their loss. After a brief description of the epidemiology and circumstances of suicide, we review the current state of research on suicide bereavement, complicated grief in suicide survivors, and grief treatment for survivors of suicide.

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Crossref · 10.31887/dcns.2012.14.2/iyoung

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  • Suicide bereavement is a distinctive form of loss that can involve complicated grief and trauma-related features, with implications for how services triage and follow up bereaved relatives.

    “This aligns with the literature describing suicide bereavement as a distinctive form of loss that can involve complicated grief and trauma-related features, with implications for how services triage and follow up bereaved relatives (Pitman et al., 2014;Tal Young et al., 2012).”

    From Relational and Institutional Disenfranchisement in Suicide Bereavement: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Family Members' Experiences (2026) · cites this paper as Tal Young et al., 2012

    The Bereavement after suicide and Conclusions sections describe suicide loss as distinctive and link it to complicated grief and PTSD. The Treatment section recommends initial attention to traumatic distress and treatment for survivors with adverse mental-health effects or high risk. The paper does not specify how services should triage or follow up bereaved relatives; that service-level implication is an extrapolation. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • Suicide exposure is traumatic and often results in grief, guilt, stigma, and family disruption.

    “Suicide exposure is traumatic and often results in grief, guilt, stigma, and family disruption.5,6,7”

    From Mortality Risk Following a Household Suicide (2025) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Bereavement after suicide section (page unavailable) describes grief, guilt, stigma, and trauma among people bereaved by suicide. Its discussion of spouses and children describes rejection and abandonment, but does not establish family disruption as an often-occurring outcome. The Introduction also cautions that not everyone exposed to a suicide is acutely affected, so the evidence is narrower than the claim’s wording about suicide exposure generally. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Suicide loss can trigger financial hardship, social withdrawal, family conflict, and caregiving burdens.

    “Suicide loss can trigger financial hardship, social withdrawal, family conflict, and caregiving burdens.5,6,7”

    From Mortality Risk Following a Household Suicide (2025) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Stigma section (page unavailable) says suicide bereavement can leave survivors feeling isolated and describes logistical barriers involving the deceased’s affairs and insurance. It does not establish financial hardship, family conflict, or caregiving burdens as consequences of suicide loss. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • These factors contribute to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use, thereby leading to early death.

    “and contribute to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,18 thereby leading to early death.”

    From Mortality Risk Following a Household Suicide (2025) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Conclusions (page unavailable) link suicide bereavement to increased risk of depression and PTSD and say these conditions can be fatal if left untreated. The Trauma section describes anxiety symptoms, but the paper does not establish substance use as a consequence of bereavement; its Introduction discusses substance-abuse disorders among people who attempt suicide instead. The claim also omits the paper’s untreated-condition qualifier on fatal outcomes. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Clinical accounts of suicide bereavement indicate that guilt, shame, and ruminative responsibility can maintain complicated grief reactions and heighten suicide risk.

    “This resonated with clinical accounts of suicide bereavement in which guilt, shame, and ruminative responsibility can maintain complicated grief reactions and heighten suicide risk (A. Pitman et al., 2014;Tal Young et al., 2012).”

    From Relational and Institutional Disenfranchisement in Suicide Bereavement: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Family Members' Experiences (2026) · cites this paper as Tal Young et al., 2012

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [9]Hawton K. van Heeringen K. Suicide. Lancet 2009 18-373 1372 1381 19376453
  2. [10]Scheidman E. Forward. In Cain AC, ed Survivors of Suicide Oxford, UK: Charles C Thomas; 1972
  3. [56]Mitchell AM. Kim Y. Prigerson HG. Mortimer MK. Complicated grief and suicidal ideation in adult survivors of suicide Suicide Life Threat Behav 2005 35 498 506 16268767
  4. [86]Jordan JR. McMenamy J. Interventions for suicide survivors: a review of the literature Suicide Life Threat Behav 2004 34 337 349 15585456

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Authors
Tal Young, I., Iglewicz, A., Glorioso, D., Lanouette, N., Seay, K., Ilapakurti, M., & Zisook, S.
Affiliations
  • Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • San Diego State University (US)
  • VA San Diego Healthcare System (US)
Corresponding author
Zisook, Sidney
ORCID
Venue
Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2012-06-30
Volume
14
Issue
2
Pages
177-186
ISSN
  • 1294-8322 (ISSN-L)
  • 1958-5969
DOI
10.31887/dcns.2012.14.2/iyoung
PMC
PMC3384446
OpenAlex
W4295092883
Cited by
291
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
FWCI
8.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH085297)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
Keywords
suicide bereavement, complicated grief, suicide survivors, grief therapy, stigma, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior, suicide epidemiology, bereavement support
MeSH terms
Adjustment Disorders, Bereavement, Major Depressive Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Major, Grief, Humans, Loneliness, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Suicide, Survivors

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