TY - JOUR
T1 - The prevalence of PTSD following the violent death of a child and predictors of change 5 years later
AU - Murphy, Shirley A.
AU - Johnson, L. Clark
AU - Chung, Ick Joong
AU - Beaton, Randal D.
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was supported by the National Institute for Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (RO1 NR01926, 1991–96) and by small grants from the University of Washington School of Nursing Women’s Health Research (P30-NR04001, 1994–99), and ADEC, the Association of Death Education and Counseling (1999–2001). We are indebted to the bereaved parents who provided data for the study.
PY - 2003/2
Y1 - 2003/2
N2 - In this study, we examined the violent death bereavement trajectories of 173 parents by following them prospectively for 5 years after their children's deaths by accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined causes. Using latent growth curve methodology, we examined how the initial level of PTSD and the rate of change over time were influenced by 9 predictors: the deceased children's causes of death, parents' gender, self-esteem, 3 coping strategies, perceived social support, concurrent levels of mental distress, and an intervention offered in early bereavement. Six of the nine factors predicted initial levels of PTSD; however, only parents' gender and perceived social support predicted change in PTSD over the 5-year time frame. Five years postdeath, 3 times as many study mothers (27.7%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD and twice as many study fathers (12.5%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD compared with the normative samples.
AB - In this study, we examined the violent death bereavement trajectories of 173 parents by following them prospectively for 5 years after their children's deaths by accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined causes. Using latent growth curve methodology, we examined how the initial level of PTSD and the rate of change over time were influenced by 9 predictors: the deceased children's causes of death, parents' gender, self-esteem, 3 coping strategies, perceived social support, concurrent levels of mental distress, and an intervention offered in early bereavement. Six of the nine factors predicted initial levels of PTSD; however, only parents' gender and perceived social support predicted change in PTSD over the 5-year time frame. Five years postdeath, 3 times as many study mothers (27.7%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD and twice as many study fathers (12.5%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD compared with the normative samples.
KW - Accident
KW - Bereaved parents
KW - Bereaved parents' long-term outcomes
KW - Homicide
KW - LGM
KW - Latent growth curve modeling
KW - Suicide
KW - Violent death bereavement
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037317858&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1022003126168
DO - 10.1023/A:1022003126168
M3 - Article
C2 - 12602648
AN - SCOPUS:0037317858
SN - 0894-9867
VL - 16
SP - 17
EP - 25
JO - Journal of Traumatic Stress
JF - Journal of Traumatic Stress
IS - 1
ER -