This qualitative study examined the experiences of school counsellors facing loss of colleagues, an unexplored area in educational settings. Twenty-one school counsellors who had lost their colleagues within the past five years participated in the semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed a wide spectrum of experiences among school counsellors who face colleague loss. Reactions range from initial shock to immediate action and are influenced by the nature of previous relationships with the deceased. Counsellors experience conflict between professional responsibilities and personal emotions and often struggle with blurred professional boundaries. They provide immediate emotional support to staff and students while simultaneously needing ongoing support, which is not always possible. Counsellors have developed diverse coping mechanisms, including peer support groups. These results highlight the need for formal support systems for counsellors dealing with colleague loss, emphasizing the complex interplay between personal grief and professional duties in a unique school environment.

In this qualitative study, we used thematic analysis to examine reflective essay data from students at a United States public medical school ( = 60). We sought to identify how students describe their experiences of loss and grief, as well as examine differences between students' responses to personal and professional loss. Students in both groups reported similar reactions with some expected differences: Students who experienced professional loss more often emphasized skills focused on helping patients' families. In accounts of personal loss, students appeared more focused on their own grief and helplessness. Students in both groups noted many positive as well as negative reactions. Students recounting both types of loss reported little about how they coped with grief or about receiving either informal or institutional support. Medical educators should help students develop effective coping skills in response to loss and provide better institutional support during times of bereavement.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mortality awareness and spiritual care competence among nurses working in intensive care and palliative care units. This cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study included a sample of 163 nurses who had worked for at least one month in intensive care and palliative care units in two hospitals. Data were collected between 02/01/2024 and 28/06/2024. The mean total score of the nurses on the Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Scale was 122.59 ± 15.59 and the Spiritual Care Competence Scale was 105.85 ± 11.90. A positive significant relationship was found between mortality awareness and spiritual care competence ( < .05). It was observed that as the mortality awareness of ICU and palliative care nurses increased, their spiritual care competence also increased.

Suicide is a major public health concern in the United States. Veterans are among those at higher risk for death by suicide. Firearm ownership is one factor that contributes to veterans' elevated suicide risk. The current study sought to determine the effectiveness of an evidence-based, multi-media advertising campaign with a specific focus on veterans related to secure storage of firearms and general help-seeking attitudes during a mental health crisis. Results indicated positive changes in (a) attitudes toward seeking help from a health care provider or a friend/loved one during a mental health crisis, (b) attitudes toward firearm storage during a crisis, and (c) self-reported secure firearm storage behaviors post-advertising, particularly among veterans. Implications for future advertising campaigns, clinical interventions, and research investigations are discussed.

United States prisons have elevated rates of suicide deaths compared to the general population. Thus, this manuscript aims to identify suicide risk factors, using data collected in Illinois (IL) state prisons between 2013-2021. First, we present comprehensive demographic, psychological, and prison-related descriptive statistics regarding 57 suicide decedents. Next, we compared this subset to IL state population-level prison reports to identify suicide-specific risk factors. Suicide decedents were predominately male, White, serving their first sentence, had a psychiatric diagnosis, and had no work assignment. Lethal attempts frequently occurred during evening off-hours, on Wednesdays, and were preceded by "mental health decompensation" and significant life transitions. Suicide-specific risk factors included identifying as White or Asian, having an offense type of habitual criminal or sex offender, being divorced, and not having children. We close with readily implementable suggestions to reduce suicides in prisons such as increasing off-hours and shift change staffing and social support interventions.

People living with cancer may experience death anxiety and depression which may impact their experience of posttraumatic growth (PTG). Social support is a psychosocial resource that protects against negative psychological outcome. Although a direct association among these variables exist, little is known about their interactive effect. Dwelling on the buffering hypothesis, this study examined the role of social support in the association of death anxiety and PTG. We further investigated whether depression-PTG relationship would be moderated by social support. Cancer patients ( = 412) were randomly selected from two healthcare institutions. Participants completed relevant self report measures, and data were analyzed using Hayes PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results showed that social support buffered the effect of death anxiety on PTG. The relationship between depression and PTG was also moderated by social support. Interventions to facilitate PTG should target social support network of patients due to its potentials in buffering the effect of death-related anxiety and depression on patients' PTG.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between death anxiety and QoL in a sample of Iranian heart failure (HF) patients. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed to examine this relationship in a sample of 296 HF patients. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling from teaching hospitals in Kermanshah City, western Iran, between October and December 2023. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS), and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Participants reported moderate to high levels of death anxiety (Mean [SD] = 7.54 [2.35]) on the TDAS and moderate to poor QoL (Mean [SD] = 36.24 [12.26]) on the MLHFQ. The statistical methods used in this study included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression analysis, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26, with a significance level set at 0.05. A significant positive correlation was found between death anxiety and QoL (r = 0.329, < .001), indicating that higher levels of death anxiety were associated with lower QoL. These results underscore the importance of addressing death anxiety in HF patients to improve their QoL. Interventions targeting the reduction of death anxiety and the enhancement of QoL are essential for optimizing care for this vulnerable population. The study recommends the implementation of psychological interventions, support groups, comprehensive counseling, education, and regular assessments for this purpose.

Obituaries serve important social functions; they announce death, but more importantly, allow the living to shape how the dead are remembered. Originally reserved for the elite, a democratization of the format has led to obituaries becoming more common and more detailed over the past century. Changes in this genre interact with the rise of nonreligion. As declining affiliation complicates the relationship between death and religious structures, obituaries reveal a shift from transcendent to immanent life stances, reflected in patterns of death commemorations. Based on analysis of obituaries across six Canadian newspapers over the past 120 years, this paper explores the relationships, activities, and values people express through obituaries. We argue that the growing appearance of family members left behind, favourite hobbies, and community associations indicate changes in how death is understood. Death is increasingly commemorated by reflecting on the relationships that people form in life.

This study primarily investigated the impacts of unnatural in-house deaths on nearby property prices. Propensity score matching was used to assess the homogeneity of experimental and control groups, and the difference-in-differences (DID) method was used for their comparison. Data for real estate transactions in Taipei City from 2012 to 2022 were retrieved from the Ministry of the Interior's real estate actual transaction price registration query system. The DID interaction variable coefficient of 0.066 was significant at the 10% level. A comparison of the experimental and control groups showed a 6.8% property price difference following an unnatural in-house death. This suggests that an unnatural in-house death has a positive impact on property prices nearby. There were four unnatural deaths at the Xining Public Housing from 2003 to 2012 and four at the Jinxing Building from 1984 to 2012. The high incidence of events and the disclosure of information may have depreciated nearby property prices. The study results show that the stigmatization of unnatural in-house deaths reduces nearby property prices. The depreciation of implicit prices reverted and followed a U-shape pattern after several years.

Given the one-child policy (1979-2016), many bereaved parents (mean age ˃ 60 years) in China have lost their only child. Yet, the social environment in which these parents continue their lives is little known. The current study drew on data from 2029 Chinese adults ( = 36.62 years, = 10.06, range = 18-71) who anonymously completed questionnaires about their negative attitudes towards the bereaved parents (i.e., stigma of losing an only child), perceptions of adversities faced by these parents, and prosocial tendencies (willingness to provide personal help and expectations for government support). In total, 44% of the participants held moderate to high levels of stigma of losing an only child. Participants with greater stigma reported fewer adversities faced by the bereaved parents and they were less likely to agree that the government should provide resources. Moreover, perceptions of adversities mediated the negative association between public stigma and expectations for governmental support. This study advances our understanding of the unwelcoming environment in which the vulnerable population of parents who have lost their only child live by innovatively revealing perspectives from the public.

Spousal loss among older persons is an emerging public health concern. Older adults from Pakistan's Sindh province may be particularly vulnerable when encountering the tragedy of spousal loss due to their age. Although resilience in older persons who live in social isolation has been researched extensively, less is known about older Sindhi adults' experience of how they achieve resilience after late-life spousal loss, and what different ways of achieving resilience are used by male and female older persons. This study aims to explore how older persons achieve resilience and how ways of achieving resilience differ across gender lines. The criterion-based selection of participants was undertaken before doing interviews. Data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with twenty six bereaved older adults, ranging in age from sixty two to seventy four, all living in Pakistan's Sindh province. Follow-up discussions with the participants improved the credibility of findings and contributed to the depth and breadth of the study. Employing the concept of resilience as our analytical lens, we identified social engagement, cultural activities and leisurely activities that contributed to the post spousal loss resilience in older persons.

End-of-life doulas (EOLDs) represent a portion of a broader mobilization of end-of-life care practitioners to normalize discussions of death and assist dying persons and their caregivers in navigating the dying process. EOLDs primarily focus on creating a supportive environment for the dying and their loved ones. Research on the burgeoning care profession has documented the backgrounds and services of EOLD work; however, literature has overlooked EOLDs' personal reflections on their work. This study seeks to help fill this gap through interviews with 39 EOLDs registered with the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA). Interviewees discussed the rewards, challenges, surprises, and motivations to continue their work, reinforcing previous studies' findings while expanding upon the perspectives of EOLDs in their own words. In sharing their experiences, EOLDs showcase how they facilitate death by respecting and advocating for the wishes of their clients while simultaneously navigating the hardships and joys of their profession.

Home care workers (HCWs) may frequently experience client death. This critical interpretive meta-synthesis aimed to identify the impacts of client death to offer preliminary recommendations with respect to support. Five electronic databases, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus, were searched systematically using keywords and subject headings. . . . The findings demonstrate that HCWs are affected in multiple ways by client death, but these impacts are not consistently recognised or responded to by their organisations.

The complexity of suicide as a social phenomenon has long been discussed in the literature. Scholars have always used religion to show how a social force can shape most individualistic behaviors like egoistic suicide. However, religion is not a simple unidimensional fact that can be applied to any kind of suicidal thought or behavior. The main premise of the present study is that religion consists of different aspects each of which can have different impacts on individuals' attitudes toward suicide. Operationalizing religion as a multidimensional construct this study simultaneously tested the independent effects of four dimensions of religion (religiosity, spirituality, afterlife beliefs, and religious affiliation) on attitudes toward egoistic suicide. Using data from the 2018 General Social Survey (GSS) the present study proposes running a logistic regression analysis to see if suicide attitudes are significantly influenced by religiosity, spirituality, afterlife beliefs, and religious affiliation.

Widows in Africa are mostly perceived as helpless victims of harmful widowhood practices. The article offers new insights into the understanding of widowhood and the status of widows in the context of these practices. Integrating feminist research and narrative theory, the paper examines widows' responses to the ritual of the 'sitting and its associated practice of widow dispossession. I examine how widows challenge the customary ritual of 'sitting' from a place where enforced silences and widow dispossession are ritualized to where widowhood activism is born. The article draws from a feminist theory of activism, highlighting that widows counter silencing and dispossession through speaking out, speaking through objects, delegating someone to act on their behalf, disobedience and non-cooperation. In summary, the article concludes that the practice of 'sitting' is a politically charged space that is both a site of widow dispossession and resistance.

Suicide has been linked to psychopathology, particularly emotional disorders. This study seeks to investigate the mediating role of distress tolerance in the relationship between emotional symptoms and suicide risk. The sample included 1014 adults (33.82% male; M = 33.0, SD = 15.15). Four mediation analyses were performed, controlling for sex, for depressive, anxious, somatizing and obsessive symptoms measured with the Brief Symptom Checklist as the independent variable, distress tolerance, measured with the Distress Tolerance Scale as the mediating variable, and the risk of making a suicide attempt, measured with Risk of Suicide, as the dependent variable. Distress tolerance partially mediated the relationship between emotional symptoms and suicide risk, with Appraisal and Absorption scales positively mediating, and Tolerance negatively mediating. Tolerance of distress plays a role in risk of suicide attempts. Distress tolerance needs to be addressed as a key transdiagnostic factor in reducing suicidal risk.

Indigenous peoples have experienced higher rates of loss and death compared to the general population, partly due to historical loss. This qualitative inquiry focused on understanding Indigenous women's experiences of loss, grief, and death during the COVID-19 pandemic, involving 31 head-of-household Native American women from a southeastern US tribe. Reconstructive analysis of data from a community-based critical ethnography identified the following themes spanning the ecological levels of the FHORT: (a) loss of finances, (b) loss of structure and loss of self, (c) death due to COVID-19, (d) disrupted mourning and burial rituals, and (e) grief and extensive losses. Results indicate that the pandemic not only exacerbated historical loss, but interventions and models for working through grief and loss should not only be culturally tailored and promote healing across all ecological domains and include physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects, but should also address historical trauma, collectivist values, and traditional ways.

This investigation was conducted to assess and contrast the influence of psychosocial interventions on cancer recurrence among individuals diagnosed with cancer, intending to provide evidence-based guidance for both patients and healthcare providers. The present study exclusively gathered randomized controlled trials (RCTs) via conducting a comprehensive search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. This study aimed to compare the impact of psychosocial interventions on the fear of cancer recurrence among individuals diagnosed with cancer. The methodological quality of studies involved in the analysis was assessed using the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool. The data was then analyzed using appropriate software. The RCTs were collected from the earliest possible date until March 2023. The study encompassed 21 RCTs, and the cumulative sample size was 2634. The findings of network meta-analysis indicate that the ConquerFear-HK intervention is associated with a statistically significant reduction in fear of cancer recurrence among individuals with cancer (SUCRA: 99.2%). According to the ranking plot of the network, it can be asserted that the ConquerFear-HK intervention exhibited superior efficacy as a psychological treatment in reducing cancer patients' fear of cancer relapse.

On the eve of the Second World War, Britain prepared for the likelihood of civilian mass casualty events by directing Local Authorities to requisition property for mortuaries and to staff these facilities. In Plymouth, a lumber yard on Halwell Street served as the city's principal wartime mortuary. The scale of the German Luftwaffe's aerial assault in the spring of 1941 presented challenges. Plymouth's largest civilian mass casualty incident occurred at Portland Square on 23 April. Although Plymouth followed Ministry of Health guidance in preparing for treating civilian war dead, the intensity of the German campaign overwhelmed those plans and compelled officials to adapt. As part of its oversight, Plymouth also had to facilitate the burial of air raid victims. This paper presents a local case study concerning the treatment of civilian war dead to explore the role mortuaries played in the management of large-scale civilian fatalities on the British home front.

The aim of this study was to explore public attitudes toward medically assisted dying, focusing on the role of socio-demographic factors, mental health conditions, and personal experiences. Data were collected via an online panel in Slovenia, which consisted of 567 participants (53.1% men) aged 18 years and older. The majority of respondents supported medically assisted dying for terminally ill individuals (76.4%) and expressed willingness to support a loved one's decision (72.8%). The analysis indicated that psychosocial factors and personal experiences predict attitudes toward medically assisted dying. In particular, women, individuals with poorer physical and psychological health and individuals in better environmental conditions were more likely to have positive attitudes. In contrast, individuals who had experienced the loss of a loved one were more likely to oppose it. These findings suggest the need for further research to deepen understanding of the factors that predict attitudes toward medically assisted dying.

Our study aims to identify if the deviation from a balanced time perspective (DBTP) is a predictor of the quality of life among older adults. We also investigated whether awareness of aging moderated and death anxiety mediated the relationship between DBTP and quality of life. A sample of 436 participants was involved in the study ( = 68.27; = 6.56; 66.7% female, 33.3% male). They completed scales for measuring the study variables. The results showed that DBTP did not predict quality of life. Awareness of aging did not moderate the relationship between DBTP and quality of life, while death anxiety negatively predicts quality of life, and also mediated the relationship between DBTP and quality of life. Starting from the results obtained, promotion and intervention plans can be developed to improve mental and physical health services.

The death of a spouse, as the most stressful event in old age, can put the older adult at risk of death if they do not adapt again. Since the process of adapting to bereavement occurs in the context of social interactions and is experienced in different ways in different societies, this research was conducted with the aim of explaining the background and factors affecting the adaptation of the older adult to the death of their spouse. The experiences of 21 participants were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with Lundman and Granheim's conventional content analysis approach, which led to the creation of three main categories1: how one perceives loss; 2:quality of life after the deceased; and 3: the quality of marital life. The findings indicate the importance and impact of background factors in how the adaptation process occurs. Identifying these factors can provide practical solutions to experts, caregivers and bereaved older adult.

Ageism and death anxiety are still underrecognized and not well-examined among nursing students despite the high prevalence in nursing education and clinical practice. According to terror management theory (TMT), older adults are a potent reminder of mortality and disability, imposing a sense of death anxiety among nursing students who may exhibit ageist behaviors toward older adults in an attempt to control that sense of death anxiety. This study aims to examine the moderating effect of TMT defense mechanisms on the relationship between death anxiety and ageism among nursing students. This correlational, cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 371 nursing students and validated tools. Self-esteem was found to be a significant moderator, with higher levels mitigating the impact of death anxiety on ageism. However, symbolic immortality and interpersonal relationships did not significantly moderate this relationship. Enhancing self-esteem among nursing students would reduce death anxiety and associated ageist behaviors.

It is important to reveal the long-term psychological effects of the earthquake in earthquake-exposed individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of depression, hopelessness and death anxiety in students who experienced the earthquake one year after the earthquake and to examine the effects of depression and hopelessness on death anxiety. This is a descriptive and correlational study. Data were collected from 155 Emergency Relief and Disaster Management students who experienced the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Türkiye in 2023. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale. In the study, a moderate positive correlation was found, indicating that as levels of depression and hopelessness increased, so did death anxiety ( < .05). Depression and hopelessness explained 18.1% of the variance in death anxiety. Death anxiety was found to be higher in males and in students whose relatives or close friends died.

This study is in ethnolinguistics, the interface between culture and linguistics. It provides an ethnography (detailed description) of post-funeral death practices among Maronite Christians in Jish, a small village in northern Israel. It also linguistically analyzes some concepts and cultural norms related to these practices and explicates (i.e., defines in simple, universal terms) them using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach. At the micro-level, this study provides a precise description and analysis of post-funeral death practices in one community sharing the same linguaculture (i.e., the same ways of speaking and living). This precise description and analysis can, in turn, provide an opportunity for a precise comparison between these Jish death practices and their counterparts in other micro-communities. Additionally, this study provides cultural outsiders (those who are outside the culture) with insights into some aspects of the Jish linguaculture; thus it may be of interest to linguists and anthropologists.

Prolonged grief (PG) is a mental health condition characterized by severe distress following a loss. This study examines the roles of attachment styles, social support, stressful life events (SLEs), and pre-existing psychopathology in predicting PG and post-bereavement psychopathology among 74 caregivers of palliative patients. Using validated assessment tools, the study employed hierarchical regression and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify predictors of prolonged grief and psychological outcomes over six months. Results showed that pre-existing psychopathology and PG risk predicted post-bereavement psychopathology, though not PG itself. Low social support and high SLEs were linked to worse outcomes, while strong social support and low stress predicted positive outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of multiple interacting factors in understanding grief and emphasize the need for interventions that enhance social support, manage stress, and address mental health conditions to reduce psychological distress in bereaved caregivers.

and is a distinct field of study that has potential life relevance for consideration (e.g., self-awareness and subsequent improvement of one's own health well-being). Existing research development, situating in different learning-sociocultural contexts, has provided consistent evidence that showcases the differing viewpoints of life functioning (e.g., what is the true meaning of life?) and the intricate nature of death and dying (e.g., a death ritual that closely associates with a particular cultural group). Some of the research studies undertaken indicate the effective use of 'philosophization' or the discourse of philosophical analysis, enabling individuals to philosophize, contemplate, and seek transpersonal understanding of the subject matters of life and death (e.g., can a state of 'spiritual transcendence' help to alleviate a person's fear of death?). Such discourse, interestingly, has offered some informative yields for enriching and meaningful life purposes - for example, the seeking to attain transpersonal understanding of life (e.g., what does a state of self-transcendence actually mean?) and/or transpersonal life experience may assist a senior citizen to cope with his mental health during a temporary health crisis. Our teaching and research interest of life and death education over the past decade has led us to consider one important line of inquiry for development: namely, the proposition of a 'universal' blueprint or framework of life and death education for curriculum development, teaching, and research purposes. We are cognizant of the fact that, to date, there is no clear consensus or agreement as to what one is expected (e.g., specific learning outcome) to teach students who wish to study and learn about life and death education. On this basis, the present theoretical article introduces a theoretical framework, termed as 'The Life + Death Education Framework' (e.g., for universities), to assist educators for their quality teaching and/or research inquiries of life and death education. We firmly believe that the Life + Death Education Framework can be universal and, in this case, apply to different learning-sociocultural contexts.

Early parental loss is a tragic experience for children causing complex reactions to the loss. Providing a supportive environment where they can express their feelings is crucial to help them cope with this challenging experience. This study analyses the depiction of parental death in animated films by Disney and Pixar using a multimethod design and including the QUAGOL approach. We identified 13 films showing the death of one or both parents. The qualitative analysis of the films, published from 1937 until 2022, revealed seven concepts that potentially affect the way children see their grieving process reflected in the films: The representational techniques, finding protection and relationships, searching for identity, being different and having alternative skills, talking about death, dealing with emotions and coping with the loss. The identified films can be used to open a conversation with children who have lost one or both parents to discuss their situation.

This qualitative study examines the experiences of young bereaved siblings of Israeli security personnel. Through 26 semi-structured interviews with 12- to 21-year-olds who lost a sibling before age 21, the research reveals complex cognitive and emotional challenges within Israel's unique context. Participants struggle with understanding death's finality, managing intense emotions, and navigating altered family dynamics. Coping strategies vary, from maintaining routines to avoiding grief-related interactions. The study highlights a significant contrast between young bereaved siblings' perspectives and those of adults, with siblings describing an ongoing struggle while maintaining hope for the future. They actively manage their identities, often rejecting societal labels and preferring informal support over formal interventions. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing young bereaved siblings' distinct voices and can inform more effective support strategies within a national service context.

The current study investigates the interplay between personality traits, personality disorders, and death anxiety in a sample of 2331 participants (49% males; 51% females) across two phases. The Death Anxiety Scale, the Psychosocial Personality Inventory, and the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire were utilized. The findings revealed significant predictive relationships between personality disorders and death anxiety. Positive correlations were observed between death anxiety and nine personality disorders, including avoidant (r = .227), borderline (r = .123), dependent (r = .157), depressive (r = .098), histrionic (r = .074), narcissistic (r = .111), negativistic (r = .103), obsessive-compulsive (r = .126), and schizotypal (r = .078) personality disorders ( < .001). Death anxiety had significant inverse correlations with leadership (r = -.101) and spirituality (r = -.099) traits ( < .005). Avoidant personality disorder projected the highest prediction for death anxiety (β = .227; = .000). Leadership as a personality trait demonstrated an outstanding ability to prevent death anxiety (β = -.101; = .013). These findings make a unique contribution to the literature of death anxiety, personality disorders, and personality traits.