TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - The impact of police behavior during death notifications on mental health of the bereaved: a cross-sectional study
JO  - OMEGA - Journal of death and dying
A1  - Hofmann, Laura
A1  - Glaesmer, Heide
A1  - Przyrembel, Marisa
A1  - Wagner, Birgit
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - The delivery of death notifications may affect the mental health of bereaved individuals. Police officers are often the first people with whom the bereaved have contact in this exceptional situation. Therefore, it is essential to assess the behavior of police officers and the impact on the bereaved. We examined the experiences of 86 individuals who received the notification through the police and assessed symptoms of prolonged grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. The interaction with police was associated with posttraumatic avoidance behavior and the presence of another supporting person was associated with higher scores of depression. Handing out information material and staying with the bereaved was related to a positive evaluation of police behavior. It appears important to identify helpful and problematic behavior for a better understanding and for an adaptation of existing guidelines.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0030-2228
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00302228211019202
ID  - ref1
ER  -