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

• Published in: Journal of traumatic stress Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 20 - 27
• Main Authors: Zinzow, Heidi M., Rheingold, Alyssa A., Hawkins, Alesia O., Saunders, Benjamin E., Kilpatrick, Dean G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germantown Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-02-2009; Wiley
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Alcoholism - ethnology; Alcoholism - etiology; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Crime Victims - psychology; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder, Major - ethnology; Depressive Disorder, Major - etiology; Drug addiction; Female; Homicide - ethnology; Homicide - psychology; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; 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; United States; North America; America; Human; Mood disorder; Social environment; Drug addiction; Prevalence; Illicit drug; Parent; Survivor; Anxiety disorder; Mental health; Depression; Substance abuse; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Murder; Epidemiology; Friendship; Young adult; Dependence; Risk factor; Public health
• ISSN: 0894-9867; 1573-6598
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.20377

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.