Death Studies最新文献

Despite extensive scholarship on clinical and ethical issues in medical aid in dying (MAID), little research has examined the lived experiences of individuals pursuing this end-of-life option. This phenomenological study aims to explore how terminally ill individuals experience the pursuit of MAID through their embodied perceptions and interpretations. Semi-structured interviews with seven participants were analyzed using an embodiment framework encompassing the physical, social, and lived body. Findings reveal that participants' physical conditions and social contexts shaped their end-of-life and aid-in-dying realities, which subsequently influenced their lived perception of dying within the context of a medically assisted process. The study concludes with a philosophical framework of embodiment for understanding assisted death as a whole-person experience, emphasizing the central role of the "lived body." Implications underscore the need for lawmakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers to consider humanistic perspectives when developing ethical and compassionate end-of-life care.

Pet owners often form deep emotional bonds with their animals, and the death of a pet can elicit grief responses similar to human loss. However, pet loss is often considered disenfranchized grief, socially unrecognized and unsupported. Guided by social-cognitive processing and attachment perspectives, this study examines how pet attachment, social constraints, and loss-related variables shape grief intensity. The study included 210 adults who lost a pet within the past year and completed measures of pet bereavement, attachment to pets, and social constraints. Attachment to the pet was the strongest predictor of grief severity, while social constraints also influenced grief, with those facing emotional inhibition experiencing greater distress. Loss-related factors such as euthanasia initially predicted grief, but their effect diminished once attachment and social constraints were considered. These findings emphasize the multifaceted nature of pet loss grief and the need for greater societal recognition and support for the bereaved pet owners.

The term sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) refers to the unexpected and medically unexplained death of an infant, typically during sleep. This study examines how maternal identity is reconstructed among 14 Jewish Israeli mothers who experienced the loss of a baby to SIDS. We began with the assumption, well-grounded in modern grief models, that loss undermines the bereaved identity and in the case of SIDS the undermine of maternal identity is likely to be intensified due to the perceived failure to protect the infant, the ambiguity of a medically unexplained death, and often the dismissive societal responses. Drawing on in-depth semi-structured interviews and employing a narrative analytic approach, the findings reveal that reconstruction of maternal identity is a dynamic, non-linear process that oscillates across three dimensions adapted from Van Gennep's rites of passage framework: separation, liminality, and integration. The third dimension is conceptualized as a continuum ranging from a split maternal identity to a more integrated sense of self - a unified maternal identity. Implications for mental health professionals supporting bereaved mothers are discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors for prolonged grief symptoms after bereavement in a population-based sample in Türkiye. Data were collected from 371 (M_age = 36.01), including 214 women (57.7%) and 157 men. Participants who had experienced the loss of a loved one at least 6 months before. Participants completed the International Trauma Questionnaire, the International Depression Questionnaire, the International Prolonged Grief Questionnaire and the Life Event Checklist. The results showed that 6.2% of the sample met the criteria for the ICD-11 PGD. In addition, regression analyses revealed that younger age, lower educational attainment, higher frequency of exposure to traumatic events and increased depression symptoms were significantly associated with PGD. These findings suggest that depression and cumulative trauma exposure play a key role in the development of PGD. Future research should examine PGD using longitudinal and cross-cultural approaches to refine our understanding of grief pathology and inform clinical interventions.

Widowhood can have a negative impact on health and wellbeing. Social support, extending activities, and group memberships help facilitate adjustment. However, the incidence and negative consequences of widowhood may have been compounded during Covid-19, as the social distancing measures imposed resulted in reduced access to social support and services. This study aimed to explore widowhood experiences during and following the pandemic. The study utilized a phased multi-method design, including focus groups (N = 7), an online survey (N = 22), and a collaborative workshop (N = 5) with participants from England and Wales. Four themes were generated: (1) The transition of widowhood is complex; (2) Covid-19 presented particular challenges; (3) Aspects of the pandemic provided benefits; and (4) Lived experiences can inform recommendations. The findings highlight the need for further exploration of a wider range of widowhood experiences and the development of recommendations to improve support and resources for those widowed to promote positive adjustment.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of death salience on perceived responsibility toward future generations and pro-environmental attitudes across generations. Using a sample of 1243 participants from Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Silent Generation, an experimental manipulation of death salience resulted in lowered responsibility toward future generations among participants in the death salience condition compared with the control condition. Generation Z had a lower perceived responsibility toward future generations than Generation X and Baby Boomers. Silent Generation had lower pro-environmental attitudes than Generation Z, Millennials, and Generation X. Baby Boomers had lower pro-environmental attitudes than Generation Z and Millennials. The interaction between death salience and generation showed no significant effect on the dependent variables. These findings suggest that leveraging responsibility toward future generations for climate action is promising, but making death salient may undermine this approach.

This systematic review and three-level meta-analysis synthesized the association between emotion regulation and suicidal behavior in adolescents (12-18 years), focusing on the distinction between emotion regulation abilities and strategies. A search across Scopus, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science identified 25 studies for abilities models (141 effect sizes, 13,361 participants) and 15 studies for strategies models (36 effect sizes, 21,188 participants). Results showed a significant effect size between difficulties in emotion regulation and suicidal behavior (r = 0.34, p = .001). Moderator analyses showed significant effects of suicidal behavior manifestation (F(2, 138) = 12.87, p < .002) and emotional regulation dimension (F(6, 134) = 44.36, p < .0001). No significant effect size was found for strategies (r = 0.04, p = .280). Findings suggest the relevance of emotion regulation abilities in prevention programs and the need to clarify mechanisms through which emotional regulation may contribute to suicidal behavior in adolescents.

Despite evidence linking anger to suicidal ideation, the roles of its different forms remain unclear. We examined these associations across two studies. Study 1 (N = 175; M_age = 23.14 ± 8.21) assessed baseline state anger, trait anger, and suicidal ideation at baseline, one week, and two months later. Baseline state anger was associated with current but not future suicidal ideation, whereas trait anger showed no association. Study 2 (N = 184; M_age = 23.62 ± 5.91) compared an anger-induction group (writing about an anger event) with an interest-induction control. Pre-induction baseline state anger was associated with subsequent suicidal ideation, but evoked state anger did not. The induction increased evoked state anger versus the control group but did not produce group differences in suicidal ideation. Overall, baseline state anger showed stronger links to current suicidal ideation than trait or evoked state anger, suggesting that its management may improve suicide prevention.

This study examined how legislation regarding euthanasia legalization influences individuals' psychological responses, focusing on slippery slope concerns and expectations regarding human dignity. In a preregistered experiment, 294 Japanese adults were recruited online and randomly assigned to legalization or control conditions; the final sample comprised 230 adults. Participants in the legalization condition read a simulated news article about the enactment of a euthanasia law; the control group received no such framing. Results contradicted initial hypotheses; legalization significantly decreased slippery slope concerns and did not affect dignity expectations. Even in scenarios outside legal boundaries-including depression or poverty-support for euthanasia increased, indicating a "slippery slope" beyond institutional limits. This study provides preliminary evidence that emotional ambivalence shapes public responses to end-of-life legislation. Presenting legal frameworks clearly can build trust and reduce concerns about ethical drift. The findings highlight the importance of affective mechanisms in designing and communicating ethically sensitive public policies.

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) was recently added to DSM-5-TR. However, concerns remain about its applicability in various bereaved subgroups. This study examined views toward a grief-related diagnosis among a sample of 755 bereaved adults that was diverse regarding relationship to the deceased and manner of death, with over half having lost a child and 36% meeting PGD criteria. Most were between the ages of 45 and 64 years. The majority (72.2%) rated a grief-related diagnosis as unhelpful, 11.4% rated it as helpful, and 16.4% were unsure. A thematic analysis of responses to an open-ended question about their rating generated four themes: 1) grief as the measure of love, 2) emotional and existential harms of pathologizing grief, 3) medicalization and contextualization within systems of care, and 4) finding utility in the language of disorder. Overall, most respondents rejected diagnostic labeling of grief and emphasized the need for compassionate, context-sensitive support.