The Effect of Life Stages on the Experience of Those Who Have Received an Unexpected and Violent Death Notification: A Qualitative Study

Diego De Leo (), Andrea Viecelli Giannotti, Nicola Meda, Martina Sorce and Josephine Zammarrelli
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Diego De Leo: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, QLD 4122, Australia
Andrea Viecelli Giannotti: De Leo Fund, Research Division, 35137 Padua, Italy
Nicola Meda: De Leo Fund, Research Division, 35137 Padua, Italy
Martina Sorce: Italian Psychogeriatric Association, 35137 Padua, Italy
Josephine Zammarrelli: De Leo Fund, Research Division, 35137 Padua, Italy

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 7, 1-10

Abstract: Background: How individuals are informed of the traumatic loss of a loved one can influence their grieving process and quality of life. Objective: This qualitative study aimed to explore, through thematic analysis, how life stages might influence the experience and feelings of those who have received communication of a traumatic death from police officers or healthcare professionals. Method: Recruited through social networks and word of mouth, 30 people participated in the study. Subjects were divided into three groups according to age (Group 1: ten participants aged between 20 and 35 years; Group 2: ten participants aged between 45 and 55 years; and Group 3: ten participants aged 60 and over). Participants completed an ad hoc questionnaire online. Atlas.ti software 8 was used to perform thematic analysis. Results: The three age groups had the following four key themes in common: (a) emotional reactions; (b) subjective valuation of the notification; (c) support; and (d) needs. Subtle differences emerged between age groups; yet the quality of the reactions and main themes did not vary greatly between the groups considered. Conclusions: The communication of an unexpected and violent death seems to provoke rather similar effects in survivors of different life stages. A few differences were noted in sub-themes (increased need for professional training in younger recipients; absence of suicidal ideation in older adults); perhaps quantitative designs could provide further details in future investigations.

Keywords: traumatic death; death communication; notification of death; suicide; road accident; survivors; age groups (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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