Family survivors of homicide victims: Theoretical perspectives and an exploratory study

Abstract

Little empirical information is available on the impact of homicide on surviving family members. Existing descriptions fall into a dichotomy of grief theory and those reporting symptoms of Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder. This pilot study offers a multidimensional formulation which combines symptoms reported across previous studies. Participants were 19 survivors recruited through a victim witness program and a victim rights organization. A learning model, Mowrer's Two Factor Theory, was applied to explain the acquisition and maintenance of post‐traumatic symptoms. Consistent with this model, survivors reported recurrent homicide‐related intrusions and avoidance behaviors on the Horowitz Impact of Event Scale (IES). Comparison of survivors' IES scores with those of victims of rape, loss of a family member, and other trauma revealed a high frequency of symptoms. Mean length of time since homicide was 2.5 years. The Derogatis Symptom Check List 90‐Revised (SCL9O‐R) revealed a high level of general psychiatric distress, with 66% of survivors meeting “caseness” criteria, indicating a need for treatment intervention. A 7‐point Likert scale measure of satisfaction with the criminal justice system was highly correlated with SCL9O‐R subscales of depression (r = − 0.82) and anxiety (r = − 0.82). This link between distress and perceptions of the justice system provided preliminary support for an equity theory perspective on survivor attributions. Conceptual, research, and clinical implications were discussed.

Defining Trauma: Terminology and Generic Stressor Dimensions1

“…This dimension has been documented as a form of exposure to an event that predicts poorer psychological functioning and stress or PTSD symptoms. Such loss has been investigated and shown to affect outcome in natural disasters (McFarlane, 1986;Murphy, 1984), technological disasters (Gleser et al, 1981;Green et al, 1985), murder of a loved one (Amick-McMullan, Kilpatrick, Veronen, & Smith, 1989), loss of friends in a school bus accident (Milgram, Toubiana, Klingman, Raviv, & Goldstein, 1988) and combat (Breslau & Davis, 1987;Green et al, 1989).…”

Losing a loved one to homicide: Prevalence and mental health correlates in a national sample of young adults

“…Regarding mental health problems, several descriptive studies suggest that homicide survivors are at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general psychiatric symptoms (Amick-McMullan et al, 1991; Amick-McMullan, Kilpatrick, Veronen, & Smith, 1989; Freedy, Resnick, Kilpatrick, Danksy, & Tidwell, 1994; Murphy, Johnson, Wu, Fan, & Lohan, 2003; Murphy, Johnson, & Lohan, 2002; Parkes, 1993; Thompson, Norris, & Ruback, 1998). For example, those who have lost family members to violent death have been found to have higher prevalence rates of PTSD in comparison to direct crime victims (Freedy et al, 1994) and in comparison to parents who have lost loved ones to suicide or accidents (Murphy et al, 2003).…”

“…For example, those who have lost family members to violent death have been found to have higher prevalence rates of PTSD in comparison to direct crime victims (Freedy et al, 1994) and in comparison to parents who have lost loved ones to suicide or accidents (Murphy et al, 2003). Symptoms frequently include intrusive images of the violent death, avoidance of reminders of the death or loved one, overwhelming thoughts of revenge, numbing, and intense grief (e.g., Amick-McMullan et al, 1989). Although studies have demonstrated that trauma-exposed individuals are at risk for substance use disorders (e.g., Kilpatrick, Acierno, Resnick, Saunders, & Best, 1997; Kilpatrick, Acierno, Saunders, Resnick, Best, & Schnurr, 2000), investigators have yet to explore whether losing a loved one to homicide represents a specific risk factor for substance use problems.…”

Experiences of Covictims of Homicide

“…Specifically, they found a negative correlation between satisfaction with the criminal justice system and the development of PTSD. Although this finding was not replicated by Marcey (1995), Amick-McMullan et al (1989) showed that external factors were important to consider in assessing the severity of trauma reactions in covictims of homicide. Sprang, McNeil, and Wright Jr. (1993) used surveys from a random sample of support group members (N = 101) to test a causal model relative to the significance of sociodemographic factors on grieving.…”