Death Studies最新文献

The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement (DPM) proposes that there is an adaptive oscillation between loss-oriented (LO) and restorative-oriented (RO) coping processes. Empirical data supports these processes, but the oscillation process is not well-understood. This study explored the correspondence between the DPM and lived experience of bereaved people, with an additional investigation of perceived changes in grief over time. Using a cooperative inquiry inspired participatory research design, nine bereaved adults and three researchers met nine times to discuss experiences of grief. Knowledge production took place through ongoing sharing, exploration, and reflection upon personal experiences and grief theory. Support was found for the LO and RO processes, but they were perceived to overlap. Support was also found for the oscillation process, which was found to hold learning properties. Time off from grief was not supported. Perspectives on how and why grief experiences change over time emerged, emphasizing the importance of acceptance, learning, time, and contextual factors.

Partner loss deprives young widows of physical contact, emotional intimacy, and the fulfillment of sexual desire. Although disenfranchised and oppressed, sexuality is a core piece of women's identity, and sexual bereavement may compel widows to reconstruct their sexual identities. This existential phenomenological study seeks to illuminate the sexual loss and coping of young widows aged 45 and under. Qualitative findings from 21 women indicated three findings: a) young widows felt profound loss regarding their sexual relationships, leading to deep physical loneliness and an initial disinterest in sex; b) some subsequently experienced widows' fire, an involuntary and often distressing intense sexual desire marked by cravings, obsessive thoughts, and a longing for connection; c) widows' fire complicated their struggle to understand their post-loss identities as sexual beings. These findings highlight the neglected and significant repercussions of sexual loss for young widows and point to a need for heightened support, psychoeducation, and research.

The Grief Facilitation Inventory (GFI) assesses caregiver grief facilitation behaviors among bereaved youth. Initial analyses supported the GFI's reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate measurement invariance of the GFI across gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Participants were 558 clinic-referred youth aged 7-18 (58.8% female; 43.6% Latino(a), 24.9% White, 14.9% Black, 16.6% Multiracial). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence of measurement invariance for ongoing connection, caregiver grief expression, and existential continuity and support-but not grief inhibition/avoidance-across subgroups. Results suggest that ongoing connection, caregiver grief expression, and existential continuity and support are measuring similar constructs, to a similar degree, across demographics, thereby supporting generalizability and clinical utility of these subscales. The grief inhibition/avoidance subscale should be used with caution and interpreted in the context of low reliability for Black, Latino(a), and younger youth, with further research needed to improve conceptualization and measurement of this subscale.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of families of brain-dead patients regarding religio-cultural facilitators and barriers in decision-making for organ donation. This is a qualitative descriptive study, in which a total of eighteen families of brain-dead patients were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. After recording and transcribing the interviews, concepts were extracted using conventional content analysis. The main theme was entitled "religio-cultural facilitators and barriers in decision-making on organ donation" and consisted of four main categories, including two facilitators of "life-giving culture" and "life-giving sacredness" and two barriers of "decision-making skepticism" and "opportunity-burning religiousization". Therefore, cultural and religious issues require further attention and a more realistic and logical cultural and religious perspective toward organ donation should be created at the societal level.

This research aims to investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy, social support, and hope in the relationship between depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience in 2023 Türkiye earthquake survivors (N = 491). The findings from a multi-mediation analysis showed the indirect effect of depression, anxiety, and stress on resilience through self-efficacy, social support, and hope. Thus, self-efficacy, social support, and hope may be protective factors for resilience in earthquake survivors. Strategies to improve self-efficacy and hope in earthquake survivors and social support may be necessary in reducing the stress factors caused by earthquakes.

Suicide bereavement is known to be highly distressing and to negatively affect the mental health of the bereaved. The role of religion and spirituality after suicide bereavement remains understudied. We aimed to specifically explore the role of spirituality after suicide bereavement by conducting a qualitative study through semi-structured interviews with fifteen people bereaved by suicide. The grounded theory-informed thematic analysis identified five main themes, namely "continuing bonds with the deceased," "lightening the burden," "grounded spirituality," "perceptual and conceptual shift" and "the movement of giving." For many participants, spirituality was a resource that facilitated the process of accepting their loss by offering a larger entity to which to hand over their suffering. Moreover, the continuing bonds with the deceased helped them to get through this ordeal. Our results can enable mental health professionals to better understand how spirituality can facilitate post-traumatic growth in people bereaved by suicide.

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a new diagnosis that may cause significant functional impairment. Prolonged grief therapy (PGT) is a manualized 16-session intervention, whose efficacy has been demonstrated in studies primarily from Western cultures. The current report aimed to present a case to illustrate the use of PGT in Chinese culture. The client was a bereaved adult suffering from PGD after the death of her mother ten years ago. Additionally, she lost her father three months ago. Questionnaires were completed before and after treatment. In-depth interview was conducted at a 3-month follow-up. The client's scores for grief, functional impairment, grief-related beliefs and avoidance, depression and insomnia all decreased substantially after treatment. The follow-up feedbacks indicated that the beneficial effects of PGT persisted in the client's life. This case report provides preliminary evidence that bereaved people in China could benefit greatly from PGT, with minimal cultural adaptation.

From a Terror Management perspective, the pursuit of thinness that characterizes eating disorders (EDs) is arguably a culturally endorsed way to mitigate death anxiety. In the present studies, we used the mortality salience (MS) paradigm to examine whether priming death increases ED symptoms. We recruited two samples of women from undergraduate (Study 1, N = 120), and clinically relevant (Study 2, N = 154) populations. After priming, participants completed measures of potential confounds (e.g., neuroticism, affect). Next, we assessed ED attitudes and behavior using a portion size estimation task, and measures of body dissatisfaction and eating intention. Study 1 findings were inconsistent with the claimed role of death anxiety in ED related behavior. However, in Study 2, MS priming led to increased dissatisfaction with current thinness and smaller portion sizes for high-fat compared to low-fat food. Overall, the results suggest that death anxiety may, at least partially, drive ED symptoms.

Research examining the potential of the psychedelic experience to alter attitudes toward death is steadily emerging. However, the specific mechanisms leading to this change are not well understood. The present study investigated the potential relationship between changes in metaphysical beliefs and changes in death anxiety following a single significant psychedelic experience. A total of 155 participants completed a retrospective questionnaire that included questions about their acute experience and changes in death anxiety and metaphysical beliefs following a significant psychedelic experience. Although some participants reported an increase in death anxiety, there was an overall significant reduction in death anxiety from before to after the experience. Improvements in death anxiety were positively correlated with changes in belief in panpsychism, but no other measured metaphysical beliefs. The findings from this exploratory study provide direction for future research looking at the relationship between changes in metaphysical beliefs and death anxiety in the context of psychedelic experiences.

This study examined beliefs about grief and bereavement, and how the endorsement of myths is related to death anxiety and complicated grief. Results from a sample of college students in the United States (N = 391) suggested that myths about grief and bereavement are prevalent in this group. Additionally, the endorsement of certain myths significantly explained both death anxiety and complicated grief. Findings from this study provide additional support for death education in college and university settings to promote grief literacy. Implications for education, advocacy, research, and practice are discussed.