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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: The grief experiences of individuals bereaved through the suicide of older persons are for the most part unstudied, A possible source of distress may be the legal procedures that follow such suicides. Guilt feelings, as well as a sense of rejection, shame, or stigma, have been suggested to be more common in relatives bereaved through suicide than in relatives bereaved through other modes of death.
METHOD: In 85 relatives and friends bereaved through the suicide of a person aged 60 years or older, grief experiences and problems experienced during legal procedures after the death were examined. The bereavement reactions in a subgroup of 46 individuals were compared with the reactions in a control group bereaved by the natural death of an older person. Interviews, which included a semistructured assessment of problems following the death, the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, were conducted 6 to 21 months after the deaths.
RESULTS: Of those bereaved through suicide, 36 (42.4%) reported problems in their deal ings with the coroner's office and 33 (38.8%) described having distress due to media reporting of the inquest. Individuals bereaved through suicide had depression scores similar to those of individuals bereaved through natural causes, although those bereaved through suicide scored higher on GEQ subscales measuring stigmatization, shame, sense of rejection, and "unique reactions." Limitations: Especially in the control group, the participation rate of potential subjects was low. There were differences between the study and control groups in the proportions of different kinships to the deceased.
CONCLUSIONS: Relatives bereaved through suicide are frequently distressed by problems in media reporting of coroners' inquests and in inquest procedures. Because themes of stigma, shame, and sense of rejection in bereavement are common in relatives bereaved through suicide, they should be specifically addressed as part of the counseling of these : relatives.
Language: en |