title: Death on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Effect on a subgroup of schizophrenic patients.
abstract: This study documents the effect of an untimely death on a group of patients in a psychiatric inpatient unit. The large community meeting was used as a forum to characterize unique bereavement patterns in a subgroup of schizophrenic patients. Nonschizophrenic patients tended to reach out to obtain comfort and support, but schizophrenic patients showed a heightened sense of vulnerability and expressed distrust and blame toward the staff. We document the interventions that were attempted in neutralizing regression and restoring adaptive coping mechanisms during and after the community meeting.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Department of Psychiatry 11203, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trappler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001601:Bereavement; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012043:Regression, Psychology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016037:Single-Blind Method