title: Posttraumatic symptoms in Japanese bereaved family members with special regard to suicide and homicide cases.
abstract: The authors investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in Japanese bereaved family members using a questionnaire. Participants were bereaved as a result of suicide and homicide (n = 51 and 49, respectively), with natural death (n = 56) as a control; and their relationships to the deceased were parent-child (n = 79), conjugal (n = 42), and others (n = 35). With regard to the 3 main PTSD-related criteria, (a) re-experiencing symptoms were not dependent on the manner of death or the relationship to the deceased; (b) avoidance behaviors were more highly related to homicide than natural death for relatives other than parent-child and conjugal relationships; and (c) hyperarousal and maladaptation symptoms were more serious for conjugal loss. These findings suggest that avoidance behaviors in homicidal cases are more closely associated with a distant family relationship, whereas conjugal loss is traumatic, irrespective of the manner of death, often causing hyperarousal and maladaptation symptoms.
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan. koh-ske@sakai.zaq.ne.jp
authors: Kohske
authors: K
authors: Ogata
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Takaki
authors: T
authors: Ishikawa
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Tomomi
authors: T
authors: Michiue
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Nishi
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001601:Bereavement; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult