Family and bereavement: reviewing empirical contributions between 2010 and 2020

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7213/psicolargum.42.116.AO14

Abstract

This study refers to an integrative systematic review of the literature on the repercussions of bereavement for family members, aiming to present and discuss the characteristics and results of empirical studies on the subject. The descriptors “family” and “bereavement” were used to search articles published in English, Portuguese or Spanish between January 2010 and July 2020 in open-access journals indexed in PubMed, SciELO and PePSIc. This initial search yielded 656 results, which were selected by the authors to meet the inclusion requirements: to be an empirical articles; to include bereaved families or relatives as participants; use mourning as refering to the death of a family member; to present results about family grief. Thus, 151 articles remained, which were analyzed descriptively regarding methodological choices, year, country, and journal of publication. The main results presented in the studies underwent content analysis, discussed in the categories: Physiological repercussions of grief; Psychological and emotional repercussions of grief; Spiritual experiences and ritualization in the search for meanings to the loss; Changes in behavior and family relationships; Death experiences and communication with health professionals; and Interventions for family grief. It was observed the great tendency of the individual view of mourning even when the death is of a family member, and the need to broaden the view of bereavement as a family experience.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Gabriela Sarturi Rigão, Federal University of Santa Maria

PhD student in Psychology at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Leonardo Zink, Federal University of Santa Maria

Graduated in Psychology from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Helena Dias Bornhorst, Federal University of Santa Maria

Graduated in Psychology from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Vitória Noronha Tusi, Federal University of Santa Maria

Graduated in Psychology from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Luisa da Rosa Olesiak, Federal University of Santa Maria

PhD in Psychology from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Caroline Rubin Rossato Pereira, Federal University of Santa Maria

Professor of the Postgraduate Program in Psychology at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Published

2024-02-27

How to Cite

Sarturi Rigão, G., Zink, L., Dias Bornhorst, H., Noronha Tusi, V., da Rosa Olesiak, L., & Rubin Rossato Pereira, C. (2024). Family and bereavement: reviewing empirical contributions between 2010 and 2020. Psicologia Argumento, 42(116). https://doi.org/10.7213/psicolargum.42.116.AO14