%0 Journal Article
%T The Effect of Life Stages on the Experience of Those Who Have Received an Unexpected and Violent Death Notification: A Qualitative Study.
%A De Leo D
%A Viecelli Giannotti A
%A Meda N
%A Sorce M
%A Zammarrelli J
%J Int J Environ Res Public Health
%V 21
%N 7
%D 2024 Jul 13
%M 39063491
%F 4.614
%R 10.3390/ijerph21070915
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>How individuals are informed of the traumatic loss of a loved one can influence their grieving process and quality of life.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>This qualitative study aimed to explore, through thematic analysis, how life stages might influence the experience and feelings of those who have received communication of a traumatic death from police officers or healthcare professionals.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Recruited through social networks and word of mouth, 30 people participated in the study. Subjects were divided into three groups according to age (Group 1: ten participants aged between 20 and 35 years; Group 2: ten participants aged between 45 and 55 years; and Group 3: ten participants aged 60 and over). Participants completed an ad hoc questionnaire online. Atlas.ti software 8 was used to perform thematic analysis.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>The three age groups had the following four key themes in common: (a) emotional reactions; (b) subjective valuation of the notification; (c) support; and (d) needs. Subtle differences emerged between age groups; yet the quality of the reactions and main themes did not vary greatly between the groups considered.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The communication of an unexpected and violent death seems to provoke rather similar effects in survivors of different life stages. A few differences were noted in sub-themes (increased need for professional training in younger recipients; absence of suicidal ideation in older adults); perhaps quantitative designs could provide further details in future investigations.