Search

Background : The mortuary plays an important, under-recognized role in end-of-life care. A ' Life-affirming strategy ' was introduced in the mortuary of a university hospital to enhance respect for the deceased and next-of-kin (NOK). Design: NOK who collected bodies in the mortuary of a university hospital participated in a survey. The satisfaction scores, needs and expectations were compared with a similar survey from 2015. Results: The overall experience for NOK improved significantly compared with 2015. The greatest improvement was achieved in 'mortuary environment', 'attitude of mortuary staff' and 'body viewing arrangement in the mortuary'. The perceived need for additional psychosocial support was significantly reduced. Conclusions: Results demonstrate success of the life-affirming strategy in enhancing end-of-life care for bereaved families. The person-centered approach modernizes and professionalizes mortuary services, with a positive impact on the deceased, NOK, mortuary staff, hospital administration and wider community.

The purpose of this study is to explore bereaved mothers' 2-year experiences of losing their only child in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Taking an interpretative phenomenological approach, this study interviewed six bereaved mothers four times (6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months) in Dujiangyan area in Sichuan Province. The findings suggest that these mothers' personal grief experiences evolved: initially, anger toward the cause of their children's deaths, following despair of meaningless life, guilt and regret, and finally yearning. Although their yearning and missing ebbed after 2 years, these mothers still had unresolved grief. These mothers also faced strained marital relationships and additional pressure from social interactions. This study illuminates that these mothers' personal grief experiences and their coping strategies corresponded to Chinese family and sociocultural context.

The purpose of this study is to explore the grief experiences of mothers after they lost their children in the 2008 China earthquake. Informed by the dual process model, this study conducted in-depth interviews to explore how six bereaved mothers coped with such grief over a 2-year period. Right after the earthquake, these mothers suffered from intensive grief. They primarily coped with loss-oriented stressors. As time passed, these mothers began to focus on restoration-oriented stressors to face changes in life. This coping trajectory was a dynamic and integral process, which bereaved mothers oscillated between loss- and restoration-oriented stressors. This study offers insight in extending the existing empirical evidence of the dual process model.

The rationale, development, and validation of the Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS) are described in this article. The BGS was based on a theoretically developed, multidimensional conceptualization of guilt. Part 1 describes the generation of the item pool, derived from in-depth interviews, and review of the scientific literature. Part 2 details statistical analyses for further item selection (Sample 1, N = 273). Part 3 covers the psychometric properties of the emergent-BGS (Sample 2, N = 600, and Sample 3, N = 479). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a five-factor model fit the data best. Correlations of BGS scores with depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-forgiveness, and mode of death were consistent with theoretical predictions, supporting the construct validity of the measure. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also supported. Thus, initial testing or examination suggests that the BGS is a valid tool to assess multiple components of bereavement guilt. Further psychometric testing across cultures is recommended.

The purpose of this study is to explore the grief experiences of mothers after they lost their children in the 2008 China earthquake. Informed by the Dual Process Model, this study conducted in-depth interviews to explore how six bereaved mothers coped with such grief over a 2-year period. Right after the earthquake, these mothers suffered from intensive grief. They primarily coped with loss-oriented stressors. As time passed, these mothers began to focus on restoration-oriented stressors to face changes in life. This coping trajectory was a dynamic and integral process, which bereaved mothers oscillated between loss- and restoration-oriented stressors. This study offers insight in extending the existing empirical evidence of the Dual Process Model.

This study presents an exploration of significant coping strategies for Chinese widowers' healthy adjustment to conjugal loss. The informants, 17 Chinese widowers, were asked to share strategies they have adopted to achieve healthy adjustment to spousal loss. The results reveal that loss-orientation coping, consisting of: 1) emotion-focused coping; 2) social coping; and 3) meaning-focused coping, was the key strategy in dealing with challenges posed by the past. Restoration-orientation coping, consisting of: 1) problem-focused coping; 2) social coping; 3) future-focused coping and 4) meaning-focused coping; was the key to managing challenges posed by present and future needs. It is hoped that insights from this study will inform social workers' practice with Chinese widowers experiencing poor adjustment to conjugal loss.

This study reports the results of a survey on death preparation, death-related beliefs, and death anxiety in a Hong Kong sample. Respondents (N = 285) recruited from the community were asked if they have prepared for themselves a life insurance, a will, and a resting place (e.g. burial site, columbarium, etc.). Questions about their death-related cultural beliefs and anxiety were also asked. Results indicated that respondents who have thought of preparing for their own deaths but not yet acted out (contemplators) held stronger traditional cultural beliefs about death than respondents who have either done the preparations (planners) or never thought of the idea (non-contemplators). Contemplators also reported higher death anxiety. Despite limitations of the study's design, the current results suggest the beliefs in cultural taboo may play a role in the preparation for one's death.