Resource Tag: ANNIVERSARY REACTION

Child suicide has become a critical issue for both the public & the therapeutic community. The author differentiates between children under 8 or 9 & those approaching adolescence, stating younger children are developed mentally to the stage of magical thinking & believe death is reversible. Parents & caregivers must therefore provide a safe environment for […]

The suicide of a parent or family member has long-term effects on surviving children. Normal fleeting thoughts of suicide are escalated in survivors, who fear they may also commit suicide or become mentally ill. The anniversary date of the suicide, & the attainment of the same age as the victim are times of high risk […]

M. Alderson has shown an excess of deaths in the birth month & following 3 mo. for persons aged 75+ & suggests birthdays may affect elderly morale, impairing resistance to fatal disease, & that a hypothesis of “birthday stress” should be tested. It might be related to suicide more than to natural death; there is […]

This paper describes how adults cope with the loss of a sibling in childhood due to suicide. It covers 4 case histories with the following different aspects: the influence of a saga, the replacement aspect, the development of excessive guilt, & parental suffering. Included is a lengthy portion of the treatment of individuals suffering from […]

The author reviews grief reactions relevant to the elderly and suggests diagnostic aides and treatment approaches.

A psychological autopsy, of a 36-yr-old pilot who crashed his aircraft into the ground at high speed, yielded strong presumptive evidence of an unrecognized depression in a man with manipulative & mildly antisocial characteristics. Includes comments on the role of psychological autopsy in aircraft accident investigation, anniversary reactions, the use of psychiatric diagnosis to support […]

Pregnancy continues to be a common occurrence among adolescents, often producing psychosocial stress. This report describes 2 female adolescent patients who, following elective abortion, attempted suicide on the approximate date the fetus would have been born had it come to term. Recognition of adolescents who are emotionally vulnerable and at high risk for self-destructiveness may […]

A study was undertaken by the author at Judge Baker Guidance Center, Boston in 1980-81 to explore anniversary reactions in children following the death of a family member. The study showed how feelings of loss and sadness, a reactivation of the mourning process, were triggered by various personal associations. By acknowledging these reactions as part […]

This article begins by discussing the problems with completely understanding suicide – since the victims’ motives can no longer be examined directly. Next, the author discusses the mixed goals of suicide victims, for example, to return to infancy, to join someone who has died, or for vengeance or self-punishment. The author concludes that students of […]