Context: It is estimated that approximately one in four people know someone who has taken their own life and that one suicide death leaves six or more suicide survivors. Aims: The aim of this paper was to review the literature regarding the association between suicide and bereavement, focusing also on the supportive and therapeutic resources available for survivors. Materials and Methods: Careful MedLine and PsycINFO searches for the period 1980-2013. Results: The review of the literature indicates that emotional turmoil in suicide survivors may last a long time and, in some cases, may end with their own suicide. Conclusion: Future research should evaluate the efficacy of professional treatments and of support groups targeting suicide survivors. Practice Implications: It is crucial to understand the bereavement process after the suicide of a significant other in order to provide proper care, reduce stigma, and improve the outcomes of related psychiatric conditions.

Research has demonstrated that patients with insomnia are at an increased risk of experiencing suicidal ideation and/or making a suicide attempt. To evaluate the relation between insomnia and suicidal behaviour. To examine factors associated with a diagnosis of insomnia in patients admitted to an Emergency Department (ED) and assessed by the psychiatrist in charge. Participants were 843 patients consecutively admitted to the ED of Sant'Andrea Hospital in Rome, between January 2010 and December 2011. All patients admitted were referred to a psychiatrist. A clinical interview based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and a semi-structured interview was conducted. Patients were asked about 'ongoing' suicidal ideation or plans for suicide. Forty-eight percent of patients received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD) or an anxiety disorder; whereas, 17.1% were diagnosed with Schizophrenia or other non-affective psychosis. Patients with insomnia (compared to patients without insomnia) more frequently had a diagnosis of BD (23.9% vs. 12.4%) or MDD (13.3% vs. 9.5%; p < 0.001). Moreover, patients with insomnia less frequently had attempted suicide in the past 24 h (5.3% vs. 9.5%; p < 0.05) as compared with other patients, but those patients with insomnia who attempted suicide more frequently used a violent method (64.3% vs. 23.6%; p < 0.01) compared to other suicide attempters. Our results do not support an association between insomnia and suicidal behaviour. However, suicide attempters with insomnia more frequently used violent methods, and this phenomenon should be taken into serious consideration by clinicians.