CONTEXT Symptoms of intense bereavement-related sadness may resemble those of major depressive disorder (MDD) but may not indicate a mental disorder. To avert false-positive diagnoses, DSM criteria for MDD exclude uncomplicated bereavement of brief duration and modest severity. However, the DSM does not similarly exempt depressive reactions to other losses, even when they are uncomplicated in d...

BACKGROUND Spousal bereavement is documented as a highly stressful event. This article presents findings from research that explored bereavement survivors' perspectives on what support factors were most helpful to them. METHODS A qualitative telephone survey was conducted with caregiver spouses of Cittamani Hospice Service clients who died during 2005 and 2006. RESULTS Partner loss results ...

BACKGROUND Bereavement support is part of palliative care. Sending out bereavement anniversary cards is one intervention of follow-up support for the bereaved. This study evaluated the suitability of bereavement anniversary cards as an appropriate method in bereavement care. METHODS A questionnaire was sent to each card recipient since the starting point of this practice (October 2014-June 20...

An increased risk of death in persons who have suffered spousal bereavement has been described in many populations. The impact of modifying factors, such as chronic disease and material circumstances, is less well understood. The authors followed 171,720 [corrected] couples 60 years of age or older in a United Kingdom primary care database between 2005 and 2010 for an average of 4 years. A tota...

This study identifies and describes the profiles of bereavement risk and support needs of a community sample in Australia and tests the fit of the data with the three-tiered public health model for bereavement support. Family members who were bereaved 6-24 months prior to the survey and who were clients of four funeral providers participated (May-July 2013). A postal survey was used to collect ...

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BACKGROUND Research on perinatal bereavement services is limited. The aim of the study was to compare the uptake of bereavement support services between two tertiary neonatal units (NNU), and to investigate influencing factors. METHOD The medical and bereavement records of all neonatal deaths were studied from January 2006 to December 2011. Data collected included parent and baby characterist...

The sudden death of a friend or relative, particularly by suicide, is a risk factor for suicide. People who experience sudden bereavement report feeling highly stigmatised by the loss, potentially influencing access to support. We assessed whether perceived stigma following sudden bereavement is associated with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt. We analysed cross-sectional survey data on 33...

BACKGROUND In assessing potential cases of major depressive disorder (MDD), to what extent do clinicians interpret symptoms within the explanatory context of major life stressors? Past research suggests that when clinicians know a plausible life event cause for a person's disordered symptoms, they generally judge that person to be less abnormal than if the cause was unknown. However, the curren...