A new study found that people are more likely to have suicidal thoughts after a breakup.
For the study, researchers examined 6,600 people aged between 20 and 62. The study began in 2000. All the participants were from Canberra and nearby Queanbeyan.
Researchers conducted interviews every four years to examine the mental health of the participants before and after their love affair ended. The final interviews will take place in 2020.
The study findings as of now show that right after a breakup, suicidal thoughts increase among the participants. They also found that four years before breakup, the risk of having suicidal thoughts increased as well.
The team stated that those in their 20s suffered the most. Researchers also said that people in this group were more likely to experience recent or looming separation. The lowest risk of suicidal thoughts was in people in their 60s.
Researchers explained that suicidal thought decrease over time. But, they said that even after five years of separation, the number of suicidal thoughts people had was still "significantly elevated."
"The prevalence of suicidal thoughts among recently separated men and women is three times higher than for those who remain married, or in de-facto relationships," lead author of the study Dr Philip Batterham, from the Australian National University (ANU) Center for Mental Health Research, said in a press release. "It is important to intervene early, to reduce suicidal thoughts and suicidal behaviors, before they end up as a suicide."
The study was published in 'Social Science & Medicine'.
