Losing a loved one to homicide: prevalence and mental health correlates in a national sample of young adults

J Trauma Stress. 2009 Feb;22(1):20-7. doi: 10.1002/jts.20377.

Abstract

The present study examined the prevalence, demographic distribution, and mental health correlates of losing a loved one to homicide. A national sample of 1,753 young adults completed structured telephone interviews measuring violence exposure, mental health diagnoses, and loss of a family member or close friend to a drunk driving accident (vehicular homicide) or murder (criminal homicide). The prevalence of homicide survivorship was 15%. African Americans were more highly represented among criminal homicide survivors. Logistic regression analyses found that homicide survivors were at risk for past year posttraumatic stress disorder (OR = 1.88), major depressive episode (OR = 1.64), and drug abuse/dependence (OR = 1.77). These findings highlight the significant mental health needs of homicide survivors.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Alcoholism / epidemiology
  • Alcoholism / ethnology
  • Alcoholism / etiology
  • Crime Victims / psychology*
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / epidemiology*
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / ethnology
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / etiology
  • Female
  • Homicide / ethnology
  • Homicide / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / ethnology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / etiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / ethnology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / etiology
  • Survivors / psychology
  • United States / epidemiology