Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (대한소아청소년정신의학회)
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Impact of Peer's Suicide on Mental Health of Adolescents

친구의 자살이 청소년의 정신 건강에 미치는 영향

  • Kang, Na Ri (Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University Hospital) ;
  • Chung, Un Sun (Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Kwack, Young Sook (Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University School of Medicine)
  • 강나리 (제주대학교병원 정신건강의학과) ;
  • 정운선 (경북대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학교실) ;
  • 곽영숙 (제주대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학교실)
  • Received : 2015.08.04
  • Accepted : 2015.11.14
  • Published : 2015.12.31
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Abstract

Objectives : This study examined the impact of peer's suicide on mental health of middle-school students. The aim of this study was to describe the course of posttraumatic stress and grief reaction, suicide ideation, and depression score among adolescents after exposure to peer's suicide and to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress and other mental health scores in these subjects. Methods : Thirty seven middle school students who were exposed to the suicidal death of a peer completed self-report measures to assess levels of depression, grief reaction, post-traumatic stress, and suicide ideation at 1 month and 8 months after the peer's suicide. Results : There was no significant change in mental health scores between 1 month and 8 months. Level of posttraumatic stress after 8 months was related to acute grief response. Subjects who experienced a clinically significant level of suicidal ideation and posttraumatic stress showed more mental health problems. Conclusion : The results suggested that peer's suicide strongly impacted mental health issues of adolescents at a critical time of adolescent development. Clinicians should perform a thorough evaluation of mental health problems for youth who experienced peer's suicide and help them in management of their grief reaction.

Keywords

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