Barriers to Care and Service Satisfaction Following Homicide Loss: Associations With Mental Health Outcomes

Abstract

Homicide survivors are at increased risk for mental health problems, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complicated grief. Therefore, improving access to community and mental health resources is critical for this population. The atuhors sought to examine barriers to accessing services and service satisfaction among 47 homicide survivors. Over half of the sample met criteria for a mental disorder, with depression being the most prevalent problem. Frequently endorsed barriers to care included financial barriers, inadequate information, and health-related problems. However, participants who engaged in services were generally satisfied with those services. Only depression was uniquely associated with worse overall service satisfaction.

The relation of depression to in-hospital outcomes among adults hospitalized for firearm-related injury

“…extended care and rehabilitation facilities as compared to those who died in-hospital (Lee et al, 2013). Previous evidence consistent with our findings includes a study of victims of homicide violence indicating an increased risk of mental health problems, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complicated grief and that majority of them required extended facility care (Williams and Rheingold, 2014). We also found that the likelihood of in-hospital mortality among those with depression to be significantly reduced in assault/legal-FH and suicide-FH.…”

“…We also found that the likelihood of in-hospital mortality among those with depression to be significantly reduced in assault/legal-FH and suicide-FH. The increase in risk of care facility discharge related to depression reported among victims of homicide violence and suicide firearm injuries also indicated a reduction in the risk of in-hospital mortality (Lee et al, 2013;Williams and Rheingold, 2014). This relative risk reduction in in-hospital mortality related to depression among suicide-FH may also be explained due to the immediate and extremely high lethality associated with firearm suicides, (Spittal et al, 2012) whereby the majority die before reaching the hospital and those who survive long enough to reach the hospital do so because they have sustained less severe injuries (Gedeborg et al, 2012).…”

Repercussões do homicídio em famílias das vítimas: uma revisão da literatura

“…This is the case of those affected by the violent loss of a close family member or friend 22 . A recent study 13 conducted with 47 participants who have lost a loved one by homicide in a US city showed a close relationship between homicide and onset of psychological problems. In this study, more than half of the participants evidenced criteria compatible with mental disorders.…”

“…Psychology and psychiatry have produced most studies on the situation of individuals who have lost a loved one by homicide. Many of these studies have sought to understand and measure, from different approaches, the mental and physical impact of deaths by homicide in the lives of families, focusing mainly on traumatic reactions, from a disease model associated with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression 7,8,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]27 .…”

Depression, suicidal ideation, and related factors of methadone maintenance treatment users in Guangzhou, China

“…In general, satisfaction of medical services affects patients’ mental health status such as depression (Williams & Rheingold, 2014). Few such studies have been conducted among MMT users (Madden, Lea, Bath, & Winstock, 2008) and none have been conducted in China.…”