@article{ref1,
title="The experience of sudden loss of a colleague or neighbor following the MH17 plane crash in the Ukraine: a qualitative interview study",
journal="BMC psychology",
year="2020",
author="Yzermans, C. Joris and Baliatsas, Christos and van der Velden, Peter G. and Dückers, Michel L. A.",
volume="8",
number="1",
pages="e16-e16",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The literature on loss and traumatic grief after disasters provides findings on the impact of losing a partner, child or close friend on partners, parents and friends. However, little attention has been given to the broader everyday social environment of deceased persons. The present study constitutes a qualitative exploration of the impact on colleagues and neighbors following the MH17 airplane disaster in the Ukraine, July 2014. <br><br>METHODS: Eighteen structured interviews were conducted with eleven colleagues and seven neighbors. The interviews focused on the relation(-ship) with the victim, on the disaster, the first days and weeks hereafter, and the status one and a half years after the crash. <br><br>RESULTS: Especially for colleagues and neighbors with an intensive, long-lasting relation and ties based on friendship and trust, the impact of the sudden death was large. The MH17 disaster was considered a special event, different from, for instance, an &quot;ordinary&quot; accident. It was actively covered by the media and a recurrent conversation topic in meetings with other people. In the workplace, employers and less involved colleagues show empathy for a limited period of time, but grief has an expiration date - a moment where it gets more difficult to others or influences productivity. The appreciation for rituals in the workplace or in the neighborhood varies. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The interviews indicate a &quot;hierarchy of bereavement&quot;. People are not part of the typical inner circle, but feel &quot;affected&quot; and experience little social recognition and acknowledgment, particularly in the longer term. As such, colleagues and neighbors may experience loneliness and/or isolation. Generally, there is no need to consult a practitioner, despite the experience of health complaints such as intrusive dreaming and lack of sleep.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2050-7283",
doi="10.1186/s40359-020-0379-8",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40359-020-0379-8"
}