OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-06-24DOI: 10.1177/00302228221110726
Yannik Bendel, Martin Pinquart, Christian Schulz-Quach, Pia von Blanckenburg
{"title":"Expectations in the Communication About Death and Dying: Development and Initial Validation of the End-of-Life Conversations - Expectations Scale.","authors":"Yannik Bendel, Martin Pinquart, Christian Schulz-Quach, Pia von Blanckenburg","doi":"10.1177/00302228221110726","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221110726","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>End-of-life (EOL) conversations with relatives or significant others are often avoided. One reason can be negative expectations regarding these conversations. The present study was conducted to develop and initially validate the End-of-Life Conversations - Expectations Scale (EOLC-E). An exploratory factor analysis (<i>N</i> = 307) resulted in a 20-item version with three distinct dimensions: expected own emotional burden (α = .92), expected other person's emotional burden (α = .94) and communication self-efficacy (α = .89). The EOLC-E total score correlated significantly with communication apprehension about death (<i>r</i> = .62), fear of death (<i>r</i> = .58), death avoidance (<i>r</i> = .52) as well as readiness for end-of-life conversations (<i>r</i> = -.38) and occurrence of previous conversations (<i>r</i> = -.29). Results suggest that the EOLC-E is a reliable and valid instrument to assess death and dying communication expectations. This measure has utility in communication research focusing on optimizing expectations and increasing EOL communication.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"710-725"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11528861/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40397343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-06-17DOI: 10.1177/00302228221109052
Ben Hughes, Kerry Jones
{"title":"Young People's Experiences of Death Anxiety and Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Ben Hughes, Kerry Jones","doi":"10.1177/00302228221109052","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221109052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Capacity for death awareness and death anxiety in young people has been previously documented but the impact of Covid-19 is not currently known. Therefore, the aim of this study of this study was to explore young people's experiences and responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualitative data was collected from young people via a two-stage process across the United Kingdom: Stage One consisted of an online questionnaire; Stage Two comprised online semi-structured interviews. Responses for Stage One of the study totalled 120 young people; 9 of these were interviewed for Stage Two of the study. Thematic analysis of data identified four themes relating to young people's experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic: death anxiety; mental health; normalising death; and identified support needs. Young people experienced heightened death anxiety due to the pandemic but death also became normalized for them and their mental health was negatively affected.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"656-673"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491038/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39986436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-06-25DOI: 10.1177/00302228221108289
Katie McGill, Navjot Bhullar, Tania Pearce, Philip J Batterham, Sarah Wayland, Myfanwy Maple
{"title":"Effectiveness of Brief Contact Interventions for Bereavement: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Katie McGill, Navjot Bhullar, Tania Pearce, Philip J Batterham, Sarah Wayland, Myfanwy Maple","doi":"10.1177/00302228221108289","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221108289","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brief contact interventions are an efficient and cost-effective way of providing support to individuals. Whether they are an effective bereavement intervention is not clear. This systematic review included articles from 2014 to 2021.711 studies were identified, with 15 meeting inclusion criteria. The brief contact interventions included informational and emotional supports. Narrative synthesis identified that participants valued brief contact interventions, however some did not find them helpful. Exposure to a brief contact intervention was typically associated with improvements in wellbeing. Studies with comparison groups typically found significant but modest improvements in grief, depression symptoms and wellbeing associated with the intervention. However, one intervention was associated with significant deterioration of depression symptoms. Existing brief contact interventions for bereavement appear feasible, generally acceptable to the target population and are associated with improvements in wellbeing. Further development and evaluation to account for why improvements occur, and to identify any unintended impacts, is required.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"611-640"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40402212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-06-25DOI: 10.1177/00302228221110334
Betül Kuş, Aydan Doğan, Rukiye H Akarsu, Eylem Yalman
{"title":"Grief Experiences of Families of Individuals Who Died Due to Coronavirus Disease-19: A Qualitative Study.","authors":"Betül Kuş, Aydan Doğan, Rukiye H Akarsu, Eylem Yalman","doi":"10.1177/00302228221110334","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221110334","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The fear of contracting the disease, introduction of practices such as quarantine, social isolation, and curfew to prevent its transmission, and effects of experiencing a loss due to this disease are experienced differently by different people. The empirical phenomenological approach will be used to describe, explain, and analyze the experiences of the family members of individuals who lost their lives due to COVID-19. This study was created in accordance with COREQ Statement Checklist. The themes obtained from the interviews are \"death in isolation\", \"changing cultural-religious practices that cannot be performed\", \"not being able to say goodbye\".This transformed grieving process caused by the pandemic may create unique psychosocial needs among family members. To meet these needs, planning and organizing complex grief therapy, speech therapies, expressive supportive counseling, and grief recovery programs is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"692-709"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40403494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining the Basic Assumption of Psychoanalytic Theory Regarding Normal and Abnormal Grief: Roles of Unfinished Businesses and Bereavement Related Guilt.","authors":"Emrah Keser, Yagmur Ar-Karci, Ilgın Gökler Danışman","doi":"10.1177/00302228221111946","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221111946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To date, several theoretical models have been proposed to explain how the expected and natural grief processes turns into psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of empirical research examining the basic assumption of psychoanalytic theory regarding pre-death conflict and bereavement related guilt. Accordingly, the current study aimed to investigate the mediator role of bereavement related guilt in the relationship between the pre-death conflict and maladaptive grief process. The sample consisted of 447 bereaved adults who lost a loved one due to death in the last 5 years. The Unfinished Business in Bereavement (UBBS), Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (PG-13) scales were administered. The results indicated that the UBBS scores were positively correlated with both BDI and PG-13 scores, and BGS scores mediated these relationships. Obtained findings were discussed in relation to psychoanalytic theory and existing studies in the grief literature.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"783-804"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40554796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-07-05DOI: 10.1177/00302228221112723
Laura Abbate, Jennifer Chopra, Helen Poole, Pooja Saini
{"title":"Evaluating Postvention Services and the Acceptability of Models of Postvention: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Laura Abbate, Jennifer Chopra, Helen Poole, Pooja Saini","doi":"10.1177/00302228221112723","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221112723","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Suicide is a major public health issue that increases the risk of suicide for those bereaved by suicide themselves. There is a lack of evaluation of the effectiveness and acceptability of suicide postvention services supporting those bereaved by suicide. <b>Aims:</b> This review aimed to assess evaluations of postvention services supporting those bereaved by suicide and the acceptability of methods of postvention. <b>Methods:</b> Searches of peer-reviewed literature identified 36 studies for inclusion. 22 studies evaluated specific postvention services, 14 evaluated models of postvention. <b>Results:</b> Using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, mixed-methods and qualitative postvention evaluation and acceptability research produce high-quality studies. Studies rated as low quality reflect poor reporting, rather than ineffective services. <b>Conclusion:</b> Further evaluation of community-based postvention services within the UK is needed. This would evidence that services in the UK are effective in supporting those bereaved by suicide. Evaluation would benefit services in accessing funding, improve service development and provide holistic support.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"865-905"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11487908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40585295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01DOI: 10.1177/00302228241305829
Johanna Shapiro, Nicholas Freeman, Alexis Nguyen, Nancy Dang, Yasaman Lorkalantari
{"title":"Stories of Bereavement: Examining Medical Students' Reflections on Loss and Grief.","authors":"Johanna Shapiro, Nicholas Freeman, Alexis Nguyen, Nancy Dang, Yasaman Lorkalantari","doi":"10.1177/00302228241305829","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228241305829","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this qualitative study, we used thematic analysis to examine reflective essay data from students at a United States public medical school (<i>N</i> = 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.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"302228241305829"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142775342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-07-13DOI: 10.1177/00302228221113214
Sophie Lightbody, Lorraine Catt, Aysha Ahmad, David Glover, Julie Whitney, Sharmeen Hasan
{"title":"Bereavement in the Time of COVID-19: Learning from Experiences of those Bereaved as a Result of Deaths in an Acute Hospital Setting in 2020.","authors":"Sophie Lightbody, Lorraine Catt, Aysha Ahmad, David Glover, Julie Whitney, Sharmeen Hasan","doi":"10.1177/00302228221113214","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221113214","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many people experiencing bereavement in challenging circumstances. In April 2020 at a large London Trust, a \"Bereavement Welfare Hub\" was established to offer support and advice by telephone to relatives and carers of all adults who died as inpatients. Data from BWH call records regarding 809 adults who died at the Trust in March, April and May 2020 were collated. A random selection of 149 call records were examined using thematic analysis. Six themes which influenced the bereavement experiences and grief status of call recipients were identified. These included family and community support, care up to the point of death, communication, care after death and death rituals and customs. Several factors positively and negatively influenced the experiences of people bereaved during the first wave of COVID-19. From these findings, recommendations have been made which have the potential to improve the bereavement experience, particularly during the pandemic era.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"906-924"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9280121/pdf/10.1177_00302228221113214.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40518542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-06-20DOI: 10.1177/00302228221110329
Karen Marie Sangild Stoelen
{"title":"'Without Them, There Would Be Almost Nothing' - Experiences of Interacting With Volunteers in Everyday Life in Nursing Homes - Perspectives of Residents and Next of Kin.","authors":"Karen Marie Sangild Stoelen","doi":"10.1177/00302228221110329","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221110329","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study's aim is to explore the experiences of nursing home residents and their next of kin related to interacting with volunteers in daily life and when the resident's death is imminent. Qualitative data consisted of 130 hours of participant observations in three nursing homes and 13 interviews with five residents and eight next of kin. A thematic analysis identified three themes: (1) Social everyday activities - a frame for responsiveness and meaningful everydayness - reflecting the existential dimension of these activities; (2) Time - contrasting volunteers' time for care activities and bedside support to dying residents with professionals' time for similar activities; and (3) Valuable relief when death is imminent - inherent ethical dilemmas - reflecting potential tension between the valuable relief volunteers provide and the preferences of residents and their next of kin. Volunteers can promote and improve a holistic palliative care approach for residents in nursing homes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"674-691"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40072553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2024-12-01Epub Date: 2022-06-29DOI: 10.1177/00302228221111936
Elisabeth Beaunoyer, Alexandre Guitton, Matthieu J Guitton
{"title":"Online Presence of the Funeral Industry: The Example of the Quebec Federation of Funeral Cooperatives.","authors":"Elisabeth Beaunoyer, Alexandre Guitton, Matthieu J Guitton","doi":"10.1177/00302228221111936","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221111936","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The digitalization of modern societies has offered new tools for funeral industries to reach the communities they serve, ranging from using technologies in funeral planning, in commemoration of the dead, or to support the bereaved. The COVID-19 pandemic only pushed this need for online presence of the funeral industries further. We explore the digitalization of funeral industries through the example of Quebec (Canada), where many funeral institutions are regrouped under a federation of funeral cooperatives. We analyze how this influences the delivery of funeral services and allows the development of common services answering various needs of the population (e.g., a funding program for youth funerals, an ecological memorialization program, online grief support). Finally, we discuss how the federation's online presence contributes to its mission, and more largely whether it changes the perception of the industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"762-782"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11490076/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40408496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}