Death Studies最新文献

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.

The grief literacy movement promotes normalizing and regaining conversations about death, dying and grief within communities and networks. Enhancing grief literacy enables the public to identify grief, seek relevant information and adopt appropriate support. Historically families have been the primary provider of such support, but recently in the Global North these skills and knowledge have been lost. Families and communities need to be supported to regain ownership and relearn these skills. An online resource was developed and evaluated to explore its value in supporting the knowledge, skills and values required to embed grief literacy in family and friends-based networks. This paper presents findings from qualitative interviews (n = 16) and group interviews (n = 7). These rich datasets confirmed the resource to be an effective mechanism by increasing knowledge and skills to enhance grief literacy and supporting collective grief, where loss transcends the individual and becomes a social or cultural experience for the majority who deal with their grief with the support of family and friends rather than bereavement professionals.

Death anxiety plays a significant transdiagnostic role in the development of psychopathology, however there is scarce research examining its relationship with psychosis. We conducted a scoping review to systematically document and describe empirical research on death anxiety and psychosis in clinical populations, to determine the nature and extent of research undertaken, and to identify gaps in the research. We searched six databases using death anxiety and psychosis-specific terms. Searches identified 1222 citations; 28 reports met inclusion criteria. Studies spanned 61 years, conducted across 12 countries. Existing research was limited by lack of experimental methodology, minimal focus on specific symptoms and influential mechanisms, no interventions or treatments, and inadequately theorized conclusions about the relationship between death anxiety and psychosis. Quality future research is needed, with robust experimental designs, a stronger focus on assessing and targeting specific symptoms and mechanisms, and integration of relevant theoretical frameworks.

The loss of a close one is commonly construed as a painful experience and addressed predominantly in terms of its pathological aspects. However bereaved individuals may also experience psychological growth following loss. The present study examined the experience of loss from a multidimensional perspective, developing the Post‑Bereavement Growth Scale (PBGS). Participants, 335 adults aged 18-65 who experienced the death of a close one between 3 and 24 months prior, answered the questions online. Additionally, as part of the validity analyses, they also completed measures of personal development and meaninglessness-emptiness. For reliability analyses, 30 participants completed the PBGS twice, 4 weeks apart. The psychometric evaluation of the PBGS yielded a 26‑item, five‑factor structure. Subscales were Functioning, Personal Resources, Relational Coping, Making Sense of Life, and Adaptation. The findings indicated that the PBGS possesses satisfactory validity and reliability.

Suicide remains a serious public health problem in Kazakhstan, where high suicide rates and limited mental-health resources are exacerbated by strong social stigma. This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form (SOSS-SF) in Kazakh and Russian. The adaptation was conducted within a quantitative research design, with culturally sensitive translation and psychometric validation. Following international guidelines, the translated and adapted scale was administered to two adult samples (n = 722, Russian; n = 644, Kazakh). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a stable three-factor structure: Stigmatization, Isolation/Depression, and Glorification/Normalization. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α = 0.72-0.88). Cultural differences included the item "an embarrassment" loading onto the Isolation/Depression factor and the exclusion of "dedicated" in the Kazakh version. Both versions demonstrated strong psychometric performance and are the first validated tools for assessing suicide stigma in Kazakhstan.

Given that parental psychological control is a critical risk factor for suicidality, its underlying psychological mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the influence and mechanism of parental psychological control on suicidality among college students and establish a full model of interactive factors. In total, 945 college students were surveyed using the Parental Psychological Control Questionnaire, Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts Questionnaire, Perceived Invalidation of Emotion Scale (PIES), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Results indicated that perceived emotional invalidation and depressive symptoms served as sequential mediators between parental psychological control and suicidality (suicidal ideation and suicide attempts). Mindfulness also moderates the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the systemic effects of negative family factors on suicidality.

Literature exploring impacts of parental death on young people demonstrates profound effects both individually, and within the family system. Family roles and responsibilities may change for all, with potential additive impacts of socio-economic status (SES), but these are presently under-explored. The present study therefore aims to address this knowledge gap. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Black adolescents aged 16-18 years, identified as having low SES. Data were analyzed verbatim using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five themes were developed, each containing further subthemes: (1) They should be here, (2) The weight of grief, (3) Redefining family and finances, (4) Navigating external support and (5) Moving forward from loss. The findings demonstrate unique experiences and challenges faced by Black adolescents from low SES groupings following parental death, identifying both its profound emotional impacts and its wider systemic effects on familial roles, financial stability and access to supports.