Mental Health
Mental health symptoms among adolescents experiencing suicide loss or non-suicide loss in the past year Rachel Slimovitch* Rachel Slimovitch Slimovitch Slimovitch Slimovitch Boston University
Introduction
Losing someone to suicide is a known risk factor for mental health outcomes, yet its impact during adolescence is underexplored. Research suggests that youth experiencing suicide loss are at increased risk for subsequent suicidal behavior compared to peers without suicide loss, but little is known about other outcomes.
Aim
To investigate differences in subsequent internalizing and externalizing symptoms among adolescents who experience past-year suicide loss, non-suicide loss (“general loss”), or no loss.
Methods
Using Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study data, we defined three exposure groups based on past-year bereavement at age 15: suicide loss, general loss, or no loss. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 16 were assessed using the Youth Self Report (normed T-scores; mean=50, SD=10; >63 = clinical range). Linear regression models were run for each outcome separately, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, family income, and symptoms at age 14.
Results:
Among 3,259 adolescents, symptoms at age 16 were higher among those exposed to suicide loss (internalizing M = 54.5 [SD=11.4]; externalizing M = 50.7 [SD=9.2l]) compared to those exposed to general loss (internalizing M =51.6 [SD=11.3]; externalizing M=47.5 [SD=9.5]) or no loss (internalizing M = 51.4 [SD=11.0]; externalizing M 46.8 [SD=9.2]). In adjusted models, adolescents exposed to past-year suicide loss had more severe internalizing (b=1.37, 95% CI -0.89 to 3.63) and externalizing symptoms (b=2.53, 95% CI 0.63 to 4.43) than those not exposed to loss. In contrast, past-year general loss was not associated with higher internalizing (b=0.08, 95% CI -0.86 to 1.02) or externalizing symptoms (b=0.15, 95% CI -0.64 to 0.95).
Conclusion
Exposure to suicide loss during adolescence was associated with higher subsequent internalizing and externalizing symptoms relative to non-suicide loss or no loss, indicating that suicide loss has a distinct impact compared to general bereavement.