Citation

Buiter MY, Boelen PA, Kunst M, Gerlsma C, de Keijser J, Lenferink LIM. Int. J. Law Psychiatry 2022; 85: e101840.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijlp.2022.101840

PMID

36274496

Abstract

Victims of crimes have been granted increasing procedural rights to participate in the juridical process since the mid 1990s. However, knowledge about the (anti)-therapeutic effect of participation is limited. We examined the associations between symptom levels of persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression and the intention to participate in a criminal trial. Furthermore, we investigated the mediating role of state anger in these associations. People who lost loved ones after a plane disaster with flight MH17 (N = 203) completed questionnaires within three weeks before the start of the criminal trial. Mediation analyses indicated that people, who did not intend to actively participate in the trial by delivering a written or oral victim statement, were less likely to experience anger, which is, in turn, associated with attenuated psychopathology levels. State anger explains 68% of the effect of the intention to exercise the right to speak on PCBD levels. An important limitation is the cross-sectional study design, which precludes conclusions about temporal associations. More research is needed to improve preparation and support of bereaved people when they intend to exercise their victim rights during a criminal trial.

Language: en

Keywords

Anger; Grief; Posttraumatic stress; Trial participation; Victims