Journal
OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING
Volume 75, Issue 1, Pages 3-25Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/0030222815612282
Keywords
bereavement; complicated grief; depression; anxiety; PTSD; social support; homicide; African American
Funding
- Tennessee Board of Regents for the project African Americans in Bereavement: Longitudinal Responses to Traumatic Loss
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Psychological adaptation following homicide loss can prove more challenging for grievers than other types of losses. Although social support can be beneficial in bereavement, research is mixed in terms of identifying whether it serves as a buffer to distress following traumatic loss. In particular, studies have not parsed out specific domains of social support that best predict positive bereavement outcomes. Recruiting a sample of 47 African Americans bereaved by homicide, we examined six types of social support along with the griever's perceived need for or satisfaction with each and analyzed them in relation to depression, anxiety, complicated grief, and posttraumatic stress disorder outcomes. Results of multivariate analyses revealed that the griever's level of satisfaction with physical assistance at the initial assessment best predicted lower levels of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder levels 6 months later, while less need for physical assistance predicted lower complicated grief at follow-up. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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