People who lose a partner to suicide, or mothers who lose a child in this way, are significantly more likely to die by suicide themselves compared to people who lose loved ones after sudden deaths from other causes, new findings suggest.

UK researchers reviewed 57 studies that looked at the effects of sudden death, including suicide, on the family and friends of the deceased.

Based on the evidence available, they estimated that up to 500 million people worldwide experience suicide bereavement every year.

They found that while the impact of suicide depended on how close people were to the deceased, ‘all members of the deceased's family and friends are likely to need support'.

They also found that bereaved partners and mothers had a much higher suicide risk than those who lost loved ones in other ways.

"Our findings are striking given that suicide prevention policies tend to treat people bereaved by suicide as one group, rather than recognising that bereaved partners and mothers may be at greater risk of suicide than other relatives and friends," commented Dr Alexandra Pitman of University College London.

She insisted that the current reliance on the voluntary sector for bereavement support, such as the Samaritans, ‘may be unsustainable and inappropriate'.

"More input may be needed from health and social services as well as education of the public on the best ways to respond to a bereaved person," Dr Pitman said.

Meanwhile, the review also found that children who lose a mother to suicide are at an increased risk of developing depression, and people who lose a child to suicide are at an increased risk of requiring inpatient psychiatric treatment for a mental illness.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, The Lancet Psychiatry.

For more information on depression, see our Depression Clinic here