Death Studies最新文献

Compassionate communities are gaining momentum as a new public health approach emphasizing community support during times of serious illness, death, and bereavement. However, evidence on their development, particularly in higher education, is limited. This study investigates the development of a Compassionate University, examining the underlying processes and contextual factors shaping its development. A longitudinal process evaluation was conducted, using field notes right-now surveys, individual interviews, focus groups, and strategic learning debriefs. Factors that facilitated the development process included leadership support, the establishment of the Compassionate Schools Learning Network, and alignment with existing university programs. Barriers were the lack of guiding examples, the fragmented university environment, resource constraints, and limited prioritization. Cognitive and social processes that supported the work involved recognizing the value of Compassionate University and adapting implementation strategies based on empirical feedback. However, challenges such as building coherence, engaging stakeholders, and assessing the work hampered the development process.

In Australia, nearly half of university students report high levels of distress during their studies. Bereavement increases a student's risk of mood changes, eating disorders, suicide, poorer academic achievement, and attrition. We used an online, quantitative, cross-sectional survey to investigate the prevalence of bereaved students in Australian universities and differences between bereaved and non-bereaved university students' mental well-being, university connectedness, current grade average, and support experiences. Findings indicated 22.3% of students experienced bereavement in the previous 24 months. Bereaved students had higher ratings of perceived social support than non-bereaved peers. There were no significant differences in mental well-being, grade averages, and university connectedness once sex, living arrangements, enrolment type (full/part-time), and religious affiliation were controlled. Bereaved students who continued their studies showed resilience and a preference for social support. Findings present a rationale for universities to harness resources to support bereaved students throughout their studies to promote engagement and retention.

The loss of a significant person can lead to a broad spectrum of responses. While most individuals gradually recover within a year, a minority develop Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). The Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report Plus (TGI-SR+) was recently developed to ensure that the original scale (TGI-SR) still accurately assesses PGD in line with the latest diagnostic standards of the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11. This study aimed to validate the TGI-SR+ within two French-speaking cohorts: 276 French-Canadian and 469 Belgian participants. Data were collected through an online survey in 2022. Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a 4-factor model for the TGI-SR+ total scale, but high inter-item correlations favored a 1-factor solution. A 1-factor model was found for the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 PGD scores. Convergent validity with mental health disorder, depression, and post-traumatic growth, and known-group validity were confirmed. The findings endorse the TGI-SR+ as a valid tool for detecting potential PGD.

This article investigates bereavement support among Danish college students, focusing on the role of student counselors across seven colleges. Twenty-one counselors participated in semi-structured interviews, revealing challenges in identifying and supporting bereaved students while juggling academic priorities. They acknowledge their focus on academics, while often feeling they lack adequate training for broader emotional support. Key themes include counselor roles, identifying bereaved students, and balancing academic and emotional needs. Recommendations highlight the necessity of tailored counselor roles, specialized training in bereavement and communication, and establishing clear support structures. These findings underline a critical gap in college bereavement support and advocate for practical improvements. Enhancing counselor education and support structures could better address the needs of bereaved students, reflecting broader challenges faced by counselors and the importance of continuous education in effectively supporting them.

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the emotional impact of losing a loved one, deteriorating well-being, and increasing dysphoric symptoms in mourners. This study evaluated the efficacy of COVID Grief, a self-applied online cognitive-behavioral intervention for Mexican adults facing grief during the pandemic. We conducted a randomized clinical trial, enrolling 1,109 participants, 45 of whom completed the full intervention, and 69 of whom completed the waiting list control (WLC). Between-subject analysis showed that intervention group (IG) participants reported significantly higher satisfaction with life and quality of life and a reduction in depression, anxiety and stress levels compared to those in the WLC. Within-subjects analysis showed that IG presented no significant changes in satisfaction with life, whereas the quality of life was increased, and levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were reduced after treatment. For WLC, satisfaction with life and quality of life were significantly decreased, and symptoms of depression and anxiety -but not stress symptoms- increased after the waitlist. Completer's opinions of the treatment were highly positive, although they only represent 5% of participants who accessed the intervention. High dropout rates should be addressed in future studies.

This study examined the experiences of loss among bereaved adults, and the association between loss-related factors and mental health outcomes. Participants were 2023 bereaved adults from the United Kingdom and Ireland who completed measures of their bereavement experiences and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization. The highest proportion of participants and those at greatest risk of meeting criteria for all disorders were those with less time since loss, who were in contact with the deceased every day or not at all in the year prior to their death, experienced sudden unnatural death, and those who lost a partner/spouse or a child. Age of the deceased was negatively correlated with meeting criteria for depression, anxiety, and somatization. Overall, depression, anxiety, and somatization were common in the bereaved population. Identifying key loss-related variables-such as time since bereavement and nature of death-will help target those needing urgent psychological support.

Assisted dying is available in many countries globally but remains illegal in the UK, where there are ongoing debates about its legal status. Britons seeking an assisted death must travel to Switzerland. This article explores the experiences of UK-based individuals considering an assisted death and family members of those who have completed an assisted death. We recruited 11 participants across two qualitative studies, analyzing data using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. These results indicated four themes: the "burden" of illness; the value of autonomy and control over death; the difficulties of talking about assisted dying; and the barriers associated with pursuing an assisted death. The findings suggest there are individuals in the UK who will seek an assisted death, despite its illegality. Those involved in these journeys are not currently able to access support and more needs to be done to ensure their needs are met.

Objectives: To delve into the phenomenon of memorial tattoos in Israel following the October 7, 2023, massacre, and the ensuing Iron Swords War utilizing Terror Management Theory.

Methodology: A qualitative approach employing digital ethnography and visual content analysis was adopted to scrutinize 250 war tattoo images sourced from Israeli tattoo artists' Instagram pages and Facebook groups. Data collection spanned the initial four months of the war, from October 2023 to January 2024.

Findings and conclusions: The analysis highlights existential anxieties stemming from the massacre and ongoing conflict, which are both reflected and addressed through the tattoos' content and meaning. Memorial tattoos serve as responses to mortality salience, depicting themes that adhere to the three anxiety-buffer mechanisms proposed by the theory: reinforcement of collective worldviews; enhancement of self-esteem; and seeking continued attachment relationships. Through these mechanisms, tattoo recipients invest efforts in giving meaning to the inconceivable events and their ongoing grief.

Parents who have lost their only child and cannot or do not wish to adopt or have another child are labeled Shidu parents. Network analysis is used to examine symptom-level interactions in mental disorders. This study aimed to investigate the comorbidity network structure of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and anxiety symptoms among Shidu parents and compare network differences between child loss from natural and unnatural causes. Key findings revealed that faintness, feeling afraid, panic, and meaninglessness are central symptoms, while meaninglessness, inability to trust others, and nightmares are bridge symptoms. The strongest connection in the PGD-anxiety network is between avoidance and shock, and the edge between meaninglessness and weakness strongly links the two communities. Shidu parents who experience unnatural loss have a stronger edge between inability to trust others and bitterness/anger. Highlighting these symptoms may help interventions address the comorbidities associated with PGD and anxiety among Shidu parents.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior in adolescence are global mental health concerns. These behaviors are often interconnected, but can also manifest independently. This study aimed to assess the predictive abilities of neuroticism, emotional competencies, and the school social climate on four typologies based on the presence of NSSI and levels of suicidal behavior. The study included 713 participants aged 11-16 years who completed questionnaires assessing suicidal behavior, NSSI, neuroticism, emotional competencies, and the school social climate. The data were analyzed using logistic regression techniques. The findings revealed that adolescents with high levels of neuroticism and emotion perception, low levels of emotion expression and regulation and an inadequate school social climate were more likely to belong to typologies characterized by NSSI and/or high suicidal behavior. This study underscores the importance of enhancing the school social climate as a crucial step toward reducing the likelihood of NSSI and suicidal behavior.