Death Studies

An IPA study exploring parents' lived experience during and following the death of their baby in UK NICUs. It is open access if you click on the doi.

The aim of this research is to analyze the attitude of future teachers toward death education and which are the factors that influence their predisposition about it. For this, a quantitative study with a descriptive-inferential cross-sectional design was carried out with a sample composed of 204 Primary Education Degree students from the University of Malaga. The Death Education Attitudes Scale-Teachers was implemented as a validated instrument, in which biological, emotional, identity, contextual, formative and motivational factors were considered within the attitude's incidence. The results show a moderately positive attitude, with significant differences according to the mentioned factors (sex, loss of a beloved one, anxiety about death, religious belief, type of school, teaching method, particular interest about this topic, etc.). As a conclusion, there is a need to adopt educational policies that reformulate future teachers' initial training and that considerate emotional management toward death.

On August 4, 2020, an explosion in the Beirut Port in Lebanon caused over 220 deaths and 76,000 injuries. The blast, which is considered a national tragedy, had profound impacts on Lebanese citizens, notably the traumatic loss for families who lost a loved one. This qualitative study explored the experiences of loss and adaptation among bereaved families following the Beirut Port explosion from a psychosocial perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 bereaved family members three years after the explosion. Participants reported an initial state of shock following the loss. They experienced emotional distress, including persistent sadness and anger, especially toward the political class, as well as existential concerns. Moreover, social support, religious coping, and the quest for justice were noteworthy adaptation modalities. The findings showcase the experiences and adaptation strategies of bereaved families and highlight their ongoing psychological struggles. These insights pave the way for interventions for similar events.

A final comment in this four-part exchange with A Bruce and R Beuthin addresses several inaccuracies and problematic omissions in their ‘Response to Lyon: Oranges, apples and polarizing polemic.’ I point out that court rulings mean that it is likely some form of assisted suicide or euthanasia (Medical Assistance in Dying or MAID) remains lawful in Canada, and I argue from this view. I further suggest that scholars writing about MAID clinicians’ lived experiences must be transparent about their involvement in the practice to conform to methodological and ethical standards. Finally, I stress that the intense emotional rewards obtained by providers from ending lives may be horrifying to observers and those potentially eligible for MAID, and must be open to critical scrutiny.

This article explores how the parent-child bond is continued in an emergent deathscape in urban China where graves designated for deceased children are being created. This new child-centered deathscape stands in stark contrast to the dominant Chinese deathscape which is embedded in the longstanding practice of ancestor worship. Based on data collected through cemetery visits and interviews with bereaved parents, this article delves into the making of this new deathscape manifested at a cemetery in urban China to demonstrate the process of bereaved parents building and maintaining bonds with their deceased children. It reveals how bereaved parents regard their children's graves as the children's new homes in the afterlife. It also discusses how a deceased child's identity is presented and social presence continued at the grave, how parental love is expressed and practiced after the burial, and how the parent-child bond is expressed as continuing in the afterlife.

In this qualitative study, we explored the process of ideological meaning-making of bereaved individuals (N = 19) who have lost a close family member to Covid-19. Based on a thematic analysis three key themes emerged: "cut," "fade out," and "fade in." Participants initially experienced a sudden disconnect (cut) that was forced onto the bereaved, both during the loved one's illness period and after the loved one's death. This "cut" was followed by a "fade out" of the social, medical, and institutional entities that had been highly involved in the illness period, leaving the bereaved to realize that they are no longer part of "the national struggle." The "fade out" generated a "fade in" process, during which the collective sense of loss was forcefully replaced by a privatized one. This study provides a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between the social narratives of COVID-19, ideological meaning-making and bereavement.

Caring for someone with a life-limiting illness is associated with complex psychosocial sequelae; amplified for carers experiencing structural vulnerability. Workers across sectors of health and social care provide support for vulnerably positioned carers, yet exploration of the impacts of this work has predominantly focused on health professionals directly engaged with death and dying. This qualitative study explored ways in which palliative care and welfare workers experience work with current and bereaved carers of people with life-limiting illness, in a region associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. Work in this landscape involved: (1) navigation of evocative content, (2) encountering limits of grief literacy, (3) negotiating effects of policy constraints, (4) meaning-making for system survival, and (5) varied utilization of resources and strategies. Findings indicate the need for cross-sectoral recognition of consequences of this work, reflected through initiatives to cultivate grief literacy, acknowledgement of harmful consequences of policy, and structural approaches to workforce well-being.

Little is known about experiences of physicians when deciding on initiating life support during medical crises of mass casualties and undersupply. We performed a qualitative analysis of interviews with 14 physicians about their decision-making experience when considering initiating mechanical ventilation in patients with severe COVID-19 during the early pandemic. Three themes were revealed: (a) The accumulating clinical experience with invasive ventilation, and the physicians' perception of ventilation as effective or futile in these patients; (b) Preferences of patients and their families regarding mechanical ventilation; and (c) Economic, logistic, and organizational considerations of the undersupplied healthcare system. The circumstances under which end-of-life decisions were made often caused moral injury to physicians, in particular when their personal ethical standpoints were not integrated in the decision-making process. Our findings explore the moral injury suffered by physicians and may help identify strategies to mitigate moral injury of healthcare staff in times of medical crisis.

The suicide of students on university campuses has significant impacts for students and staff. South African universities are not excluded from this impact. This study aimed to identify best-practice recommendations for a suicide postvention intervention programme at a South African university. In a single-round consensus study, suicide-bereaved students (N = 25) and staff (N = 21) at the university rated 126 statements in an online questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale from "essential" to "should not be included." Agreement between the two groups was significant regarding the most highly rated statements. The most highly rated statements for both groups generated six core themes: providing culturally competent and religiously sensitive support to bereaved families; respecting family's wishes while meeting the university's needs; connecting students to available support; staff training needs; clear procedural guidance for staff and mourning and remembering the deceased student.

During the early waves of COVID-19, many patients had to be isolated, with some dying alone in hospitals. Understanding the psychological impact of isolation during a potentially life-threatening disease and identifying coping mechanisms can inform future care protocols. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of COVID-19 survivors isolated in hospitals. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals who experienced hospital isolation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological method. We identified three main themes: (a) the experience of isolation and proximity to death, leading to suffering, loneliness, or sometimes a positive sense of solitude; (b) coping strategies, with some being ineffective (e.g., distraction) and others effective (e.g., acceptance, family contact); and (c) isolation as a catalyst for change, resulting in either lasting sadness or personal growth and reappraisal of life priorities. Health professionals play a crucial role in helping isolated patients manage their experience, minimizing negative effects, and fostering personal growth.

This study examines the vital but underexplored role of self-healing in postvention efforts for suicide loss survivors (SLS) in Indonesia. We investigate the perspectives of Indonesian SLS and grief support providers (GSP) on self-healing's role in managing grief. Through in-depth interviews with 31 participants (16 SLS and 15 GSP), reflexive thematic analysis reveals both shared and divergent views. Our study developed three main themes: (1) Redefining self-healing, (2) Disconnectedness following loss, and (3) Reestablishing connection. The first theme shows both groups viewing self-healing as an intentional and dynamic process of confronting pain, and the latter themes highlight its role in restoring connections disrupted by suicide loss-spanning self, social, and spiritual dimensions. The findings offer practical implications for mental health professionals, policymakers, and support networks, promoting a more compassionate approach to post-suicide grief in Indonesia.

The increasing incidence of suicide loss in many nations makes an in-depth understanding of survivors' needs and responses a compelling priority. Accordingly, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 10 Spanish adult suicide loss survivors exploring their attempt to reaffirm or reconstruct a world of meaning that had been challenged by their loss. A qualitative analysis of the content of the interviews was carried out from both an inductive and deductive perspective drawing on a Spanish translation of the Meaning in Loss Codebook (MLC). Results documented the negative effects associated with the trauma and stigma surrounding suicide, the difficulty survivors had in finding a place to express their emotions, thoughts, and feelings related to their loss, but also their reports of personal growth during the grieving process in the form of greater strength, maturity, change in priorities, and a sense of responsibility for their lives. Moreover, the survivors reported feeling more altruistic, sensitive, empathetic, and willing to help others because of their loss, an outcome associated with their participation in organizations for suicide survivors. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the viability of studying meaning making in bereavement in Spanish speaking populations using the MLC, permitting both cross-cultural research and more attuned clinical assessment.