Exposure to Suicide in the Family Suicidal Ideation and Unmet Interpersonal Needs in Young Adults Who Have Lost a Family Member by Suicide

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare a sample of individuals exposed to suicide in their families with a control group, on suicidal ideation, and to test possible potentiating effects for unmet interpersonal needs. Three hundred and eighty-six young Portuguese adults participated. Two groups were defined: a group exposed to suicide in the family (n = 38) and a control group (n = 335). Groups differed significantly on suicidal ideation, on depressive symptoms, and on perceived burdensomeness and tended to differ on thwartened belongingness. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that having lost a family member by suicide and perceived burdensomeness, each provided a significant unique contribution to explaining variance in suicidal ideation, when controlling for levels of depressive symptoms and having had a psychiatric diagnosis. The interaction between group membership and perceived burdensomeness provided a further enhancement to the statistical prediction of suicidal ideation.