The prevalence of PTSD following the violent death of a child and predictors of change 5 years later

Abstract

In this study, we examined the violent death bereavement trajectories of 173 parents by following them prospectively for 5 years after their children's deaths by accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined causes. Using latent growth curve methodology, we examined how the initial level of PTSD and the rate of change over time were influenced by 9 predictors: the deceased children's causes of death, parents' gender, self-esteem, 3 coping strategies, perceived social support, concurrent levels of mental distress, and an intervention offered in early bereavement. Six of the nine factors predicted initial levels of PTSD; however, only parents' gender and perceived social support predicted change in PTSD over the 5-year time frame. Five years postdeath, 3 times as many study mothers (27.7%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD and twice as many study fathers (12.5%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD compared with the normative samples.

Social support and psychological well-being as possible predictors of complicated grief in a cross-section of people in mourning. [Apoyo social y bienestar psicológico como posibles predictores de estado de duelo complicado en poblac de personas en duelo]

“…Scientific evidence points in different directions (Cohen & Mc.Kay, 1984) due to the different perspectives from which we have studied the relationship between SS and grief such as gender (Bankoff, 1983;Goodkin et al, 1998;Riley, LaMontagne, Hepworth & Murphy, 2007), relationship to the deceased (Bankoff, 1983;Murphy, Johnson, Chung & Beaton, 2003;Ott, 2003;Ott, Kelber & Blaylock, 2010;Riley et al, 2007;. Somhlaba & Wait, 2008;Stroebe et al, 2005), cause of death (Burke et al, 2010;.…”

“…The first includes studies that support the contribution of SS in decreasing the symptoms of grief: reduction of depression (Burke et al, 2010), anxiety (Somhlaba & Wait, 2008) and/or post-traumatic stress (Murphy et al, 2003;Vanderwerker & Prigerson, 2003). For example, people bereaved because of homicide (Burke et al, 2010), and bereaved mothers (Riley et al, 2007) both showed fewer symptoms associated with grief.…”

Vanhempien parisuhteeseensa toivoma tuki lapsen kuoleman jälkeen

“…Vanhempien toivoma tuki sisältää aineettoman, mutta myös hyvin konkreettisen tuen saamisen sekä läheisiltä, että ammattilaisilta. Lapsen kuolema vaikuttaa yksilötasolla van hempien hyvinvointiin elämänlaatua heikentäen (2) ja erilaisia terveysongelmia aiheuttaen (2)(3)(4)(5). Tämän lisäksi lapsen kuoleman vaikutukset ulot tuvat myös sosiaalisiin suhteisiin, perhedyna miikkaan ja erityisesti parisuhteeseen (3,(6)(7)(8).…”

Double Injustice, Double Trauma: The Effects of Acquittal of Offenders Upon the Families of Victims of Homicide

“…Significant trauma can also emerge from the families' experiences of the criminal justice system (CJS) which bears down on their lives in an apparent attempt to provide redress and accountability for the crime. Indeed, the CJS can create a form of 'secondary victimisation' for families who become disempowered, distressed and dictated to by the criminal justice process (Asaro, 2001a;Burgess, 1975;Casey, 2011;Mezey et al, 2002;Murphy et al, 2003;Rock, 1998). These experiences of the families of homicide victims have been reasonably well charted in the academic literature but what is uncharted and unknown is the effect of homicide and the CJS on families when no person has been convicted for the crime.…”