Year: 2003 Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, v.42, no.11, (November 2003), p.1294-1300 SIEC No: 20041024

The authors evaluated whether the risk of DSM-III major depressive disorder (MDD) is uniform across the 6 months after adolescent exposure to a friend’s suicide, & examined potential moderating or mediating processes that may influence the risk of new-onset MDD. 1-month incidence rates of MDD were compared between 129 adolescents who were exposed to a friend’s suicide & 145 similar-aged, unexposed community controls. Clinical, family, & social factors that antedated the exposure were examined as predictors of new-onset MDD within 1 month of the suicide. Results are discussed. (27 refs)