Viewing the Body after Bereavement Due to Suicide: A Population-Based Survey in Sweden

Abstract

BackgroundResearch on the assumed, positive and negative, psychological effects of viewing the body after a suicide loss is sparse. We hypothesized that suicide-bereaved parents that viewed their childs body in a formal setting seldom regretted the experience, and that viewing the body was associated with lower levels of psychological morbidity two to five years after the loss.Methods and FindingsWe identified 915 suicide-bereaved parents by linkage of nationwide population-based registries and collected data by a questionnaire. The outcome measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). In total, 666 (73%) parents participated. Of the 460 parents (69%) that viewed the body, 96% answered that they did not regret the experience. The viewing was associated with a higher risk of reliving the child's death through nightmares (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.32) and intrusive memories (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.38), but not with anxiety (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.40) and depression (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.83). One limitation of our study is that we lack data on the informants' personality and coping strategies.ConclusionsIn this Swedish population-based survey of suicide-bereaved parents, we found that by and large everyone that had viewed their deceased child in a formal setting did not report regretting the viewing when asked two to five years after the loss. Our findings suggest that most bereaved parents are capable of deciding if they want to view the body or not. Officials may assist by giving careful information about the child's appearance and other details concerning the viewing, thus facilitating mental preparation for the bereaved person. This is the first large-scale study on the effects of viewing the body after a suicide and additional studies are needed before clinical recommendations can be made.

The transformative meanings of viewing or not viewing the body after sudden death

“…As in other studies (Omerov et al, 2014), those who viewed the body reported persistent images of the death. Importantly, however, the meaning of these images varied.…”

“…A Canadian study found relatives instinctively wanted to see the body and most valued the experience (Harrington & Sprowl 2011). A study after suicide in Sweden found most parents saw their child and did not regret this however viewing was associated with a higher risk of intrusive memories and nightmares (Omerov, Steineck, Nyberg, Runeson, & Nyberg, 2014). Research recommends that family members have time to decide whether to view the body or not (Chapple & Zeibland, 2010).…”

“…However, there is little research about the circumstances of viewing the body, or the families' experiences or perception of choice (Chapple & Zeibland 2010), particularly in the context of the medico-legal investigation. There is a need to qualitatively explore the complexities of viewing (Omerov et al, 2014) and clarify how different experiences, such as seeing the body at the scene, hospital or later, may affect bereaved people (Feigelman et al, 2008). This paper explores the phenomenology of viewing or not viewing for bereaved relatives after a sudden and unexpected death.…”

Encountering the Body at the Site of the Suicide: A Population‐Based Survey in Sweden

“…The latter finding corresponds to previous findings from our research group that did not confirm any general beneficial effects of the organized viewing of the body of a family member lost to suicide. However, the parents’ strong opinion was that the viewing had been beneficial (Omerov, Steineck, Nyberg, Runeson, & Nyberg, ).…”

Bereaved relatives’ experiences in relation to post mortem: a qualitative exploration in North East Scotland

“…The study suggests grief and a strong emotional reaction to the loss in certain situations may release frustration with authorities. For parents bereaved by suicide taking part in a Swedish study, most decisions about viewing were not regretted in later years (Omerov et al, 2014). However, those who viewed were at higher risk of reliving the death and intrusive memories.…”