Psychopathology Among Homicidally Bereaved Individuals

Mariëtte Y. van Denderen · Jos de Keijser · Marco Kleen · Paul A. Boelen

51 citations0/0 files storedTrauma Violence & Abuse

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Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Abstract

In the literature on bereavement, claims are made that homicidal loss is associated with posttraumatic stress reactions, depression, and other severe mental health problems. It is surprising that only a few studies have investigated the nature and prevalence of emotional symptoms following homicidal bereavement and a reference to systematic, empirical research is seldom provided. This article reviews the available literature to investigate whether these claims have empirical evidence. Three databases were searched to identify relevant studies. This approach was supplemented with a bibliography search. Eligible studies included English-language peer-reviewed articles that assessed psychopathology in the homicidally bereaved, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Of the 360 potentially relevant articles, 8 studies (13 references) met predefined inclusion criteria. Homicide-related psychopathology among the bereaved assessed in these studies includes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, complicated grief, and substance abuse. Prevalence of lifetime homicide-related PTSD varied from 19.1% to 71% across studies. Current PTSD varied between 5.2% and 6%. The reviewed literature was inconclusive regarding the course of symptoms over time and the severity of psychopathology among the homicidally bereaved, compared to individuals bereaved by other causes of death. A comparison of the nature and prevalence of psychopathology between studies was complicated by unequal sample sizes and type, recruitment strategy, study design, and time since loss. Limitations of the included studies are discussed, as well as implications for clinical practice, policy, and future research.

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References

2013Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 2000Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.1988Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation 1995Complicated grief and bereavement-related depression as distinct disorders: preliminary empirical validation in elderly bereaved spouses 2011Prevalence of complicated grief in a representative population-based sample 2001Traumatic grief as a distinct disorder: A rationale, consensus criteria, and a preliminary empirical test.2012Bereavement and Mental Health after Sudden and Violent Losses: A Review 2004A case for establishing complicated grief as a distinct mental disorder in DSM-V

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