Citation

Wittkowski J, Scheuchenpflug R. Zeitschr. Gesundheitspsychol. 2016; 24(3): 107-118.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1026/0943-8149/a000162

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The study explored whether adults show differences in various dimensions of grief depending on their relationship with the deceased and the kind of death. A sample of 521 Germans filled in the Würzburg Grief Inventory partly online and partly in the paper-andpencil version. After the loss of a child or a husband, both acute emotional and cognitive impairment and the sense of nearness to the deceased are stronger compared with the loss of a parent or sibling. After loss caused by an accident, impairments and the sense of nearness to the deceased are not stronger than after death by illness. Relatives of suicide victims express stronger feelings of guilt than do relatives of individuals who lost their lives through illness or accident. Age, sex/gender, and religion do not play a role as moderating variables. The results are discussed within the context of international findings on risk factors for bereavement outcome, and consequences for clinical practice are outlined. © 2016 Hogrefe Verlag.

Language: de

Keywords

Bereavement outcome; Grief risk factors; Würzburg grief inventory