Citation

Feigelman W, Cerel J, Sanford R. Death Stud. 2018; 42(7): 456-462.

Affiliation

Social Work, Thompson Rivers University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481187.2017.1372533

PMID

28985141

Abstract

This analysis addresses the controversial question of whether disclosure of a significant other's traumatic death cause is associated with mental health outcomes. Consistent with the limited previous research, this data, collected from 131 suicide bereaved, 10 exclusively drug death bereaved and 6 other bereaved respondents, showed fewer grief difficulties and better self-rated mental health among those inclined to openly disclose a significant other's death cause, compared to those who feared incurring shame and embarrassment from doing so. Regression analyses suggested that the tendency to openly discuss the death was the single most powerful correlate to explaining variations in grief difficulties.

Language: en

Keywords

bereavement; concealment; disclosure; drug; grief; mental health outcomes; suicide