Motivation for research participation among people bereaved by suicide

Few studies directly address vulnerable populations' motivation for participating in research. Often motives are expressed spontaneously and typically given post-interview. This article investigates motivation for research participation among informants who have been bereaved by suicide. Informants were specifically asked for their motivation either prior to, or directly after the interview. Four categories of motivations were identified: (1) Helping Others, (2) Venting, (3) Insight, and (4) Just Because. Sixty percent of informants gave more than one motivation. The majority was altruistically motivated; they hoped that by taking part they could play a role in helping to prevent suicide, improving services for the bereaved or moving research forward. Close family members were more likely to be motivated by a desire to help others than more distant family members. Findings are discussed in the context of suicide-related bereavements. Information about research participation as beneficial to others should be given parallel to that of possible strain.     

Parental grief after a child's drug death compared to other death causes: investigating a greatly neglected bereavement population

This comparative survey contrasted 571 parents who lost children to various death causes: 48 to drug-related deaths and overdoses, 462 to suicide, 24 to natural death cases, and 37 to mostly accidental death cases. Groups were compared in terms of grief difficulties, mental health problems, posttraumatic stress, and stigmatization. Results did not show any appreciable differences in these respects between the suicide bereaved parents and those losing children to drug-related deaths. However, when the suicide and drug-related death survivors were specifically contrasted against accidental and natural death loss cases, a consistent pattern emerged showing the former group was consistently more troubled by grief and mental health problems than the latter two sub-groups. These differences remained when controls of time since the loss and gender differences were employed as covariates. These findings suggest that the powerful and intense stigma against drug use and mental illness, shared among the public-at-large, imposes challenges in healing of immense proportion for these parents as they find less compassionate responses from their significant others, following their losses.     

Perinatal loss and parental grief: the challenge of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief

Following perinatal loss, a type of ambiguous loss, bereaved couples struggle with and experience distress due to various forms of ambiguity. Moreover, the juxtaposition of their grief with society's minimization often disenfranchises them from traditional grieving processes. The purpose of this study was to explore sources of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief related to perinatal loss. Audio-taped interviews with 13 bereaved couples at 2, 6, and 13 months following the death of their fetus or infant were analyzed. Several categories of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief emerged, pertaining to: (a) the viability of the pregnancy; (b) the physical process of pregnancy loss; (c) making arrangements for the remains; and (d) sharing the news. This study uncovers the many sources of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief that bereaved couples face in interactions with family, friends, society, and healthcare professionals. These insights may inform healthcare professionals in their attempts to ease distress related to perinatal loss.     

Qualitative exploration of the nature of grief-related beliefs and expectations

Societal expectations of grief impact the experience of bereavement. The congruence of societal expectations with current scientific understanding of grief is unknown. Therefore two qualitative studies explored community perceptions of grief. In study one, three small focus groups (N = 9) examined grief-related expectations associated with hypothetical scenarios of bereavement. In study two, the impact of grief-related perceptions on the lived experience of bereavement for 11 individuals was explored through semi-structured interviews. Across both studies, elements of a traditional stage model view of grief were evident, with participants viewing emotional expression of grief as important. An avoidant coping style in the bereaved was considered problematic. Findings of study two suggested that grief-related beliefs may impact the bereavement experience via appraisal of the grief response and willingness to support bereaved individuals. The studies suggested that stage model assumptions in the beliefs of the general population persist, although there was a recognition of diversity in the grief response.     

Parental bereavement: a panoramic view

This study is aimed at identifying central themes of bereavement. A qualitative approach was employed in the analyses of interviews with 22 bereaved parents. The analyses yielded four central issues or themes of bereavement, each with its own set of sub-themes or categories, as the narrative demanded. The first of these themes, pertaining to the life of the family before the death of a child had taken place, was named the risk factor. Circumstances leading up to the death, surrounding the death, the cause of death, and the events following the death were coded as bereavement circumstances. The grief reactions codes were divided into categories of emotional, physical, behavioral, relational, spiritual, and cognitive reactions, as described by the participants. Finally, the mourning codes described the mechanisms employed by the participants in their attempts to survive and continue living after the death. These findings can be used in the training of support workers and the development of bereavement interventions.     

From austria to the united states and from evaluating therapists to developing cognitive resources theory: An interview with fred fiedler

The following interview represents the start of a series of interviews with researchers who have had a major impact on the field of leadership. Through these interviews we want to obtain a sense of the person behind the researcher, a few comments on the person's research ideas, and some insights on the state of the field. In addition, we have asked some of the people who worked with Dr. Fiedler to comment on what it was like to work with and for him. We will try to do this for other interviewees as well. We believe this interview is timely as Dr. Fiedler is this year's recipient of the James McKeen Cattell Award of the American Psychological Society.     

The effects of religion, superstition, and perceived gender inequality on the degree of suicide intent: a study of serious attempters in China

Previous studies have tried to account for the uniqueness of gender ratios in Chinese suicide through physiological and psychological differences between men and women, and the means employed in the fatal act. From the point of view of the socio-psychological traits, this study examines the effects of religion (religiosity), superstition, and perceived gender inequality among Chinese women on the degree of their suicide intent. A four-page structured interviews were performed to the consecutively sampled serious attempters of suicide hospitalized to emergency rooms immediately after the suicidal act in Dalian areas, China. Both univariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the higher the degree the religiosity and superstition on metempsychosis, the stronger the suicide intent Chinese women had. The perceived gender inequality is positively correlated with suicide intent, and it is especially true for Chinese women. The socio-psychological traits and traditional culture values and norms have important impacts on suicide patterns in Chinese societies.     

Participants with prolonged grief--how do they benefit from grief group participation?

Data analyzed in this article is part of a study conducted to explore grief support groups in Norway. Participants that fulfilled the criteria of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) were compared with participants that did not in order to explore whether they differed on satisfaction and experiences with participation. To allow for comparison, a subsample of 22 participants that fulfilled the criteria of PGD were drawn from the total of 262 participants. Demographic and loss-related variables were analyzed to explore factors associated with PGD. Fulfillment of PGD was then analyzed to explore the group's effect on life quality and overall satisfaction. The main finding is that participants who fulfill the criteria of prolonged grief are in general less satisfied with the groups and report less positive effect on life quality. We also found age- and gender-differences regarding fulfillment of PGD, with older bereaved women especially at risk of developing symptoms of PGD.     

Psychologists' experiences of grief after client suicide: a qualitative study

Six clinical psychologists were interviewed regarding their experiences with client suicide. Interviewee's responses offered the following insights: (a) all their experiences met the criteria for prolonged grief; (b) the respective work settings significantly influenced the clinician's recovery process; and (c) male clinicians (in contrast to female respondents) reported no personal impact from the client's suicide. Finally and surprisingly, all participating psychologists did not question their clinical skills after the suicide, citing rather their understanding of the client's choice to suicide being outside of their control. Implications for clinical training, practice, and research are addressed.     

Nutzen von Mitarbeiterjahresgesprächen in einer sozialen Organisation

The benefit of staff appraisal interviews in an organization of social work In a great organization of social work (the catholic Caritas in Frankfurt/M.) since 2000 annual staff appraisal interviews are established. The author explains the concept and the contents of the questionnaire. The benefit of these dialogues to the participants as well as to the organization is discussed. A ?Coaching seminar“ has to prepare the staff members, in order to optimize the benefit of the appraisal interview.     

Healing components of a bereavement camp: children and adolescents give voice to their experiences

This qualitative study is the follow-up to a quantitative controlled study which showed a decrease in childhood traumatic grief and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in parentally bereaved children participating in a bereavement camp. The purpose of this study was to identify the healing components of this camp model. Semi-structured interviews with 19 children and 13 parents/guardians were conducted 3 to 9 months after participation in the bereavement camp. Therapeutic Interventions and Traditional Camp Activities emerged as themes. The themes are discussed in relation to previous research as are limitations of the study and the implications for theory, practice, and future research.     

The associations between work stress and mental health: A comparison of organizationally employed and self-employed workers

This study examined the associations between work stressors and mental health in organizationally employed and self-employed workers, and with the numbers of general practitioner (GP) services used by these two employment groups. The participants were selected from those already taking part in the PATH Through Life Project, in Australia. A total of 2275 men and women aged from 40 to 44 years participated in a community survey and were in the labour force at the time of the interview. Those who participated entered responses into a hand-held computer under the supervision of an interviewer. A total of 14.2% of the group identified themselves as self-employed. Respondents also provided details of their occupation and the extent to which they experienced work stressors. Some 72.6% of these participants gave consent for information on their use of GP services over a 12-month period to be obtained from national insurance records. We found that self-employed men and women reported more decision authority than the organizationally employed, while self-employed women also had more manageable job demands. Self-employment offered men no health benefit. However, women who were self-employed reported worse physical health than their organizationally employed counterparts. While work stress factors were most likely to be associated with the use of GP services by self-employed men, the use of those services by women was more strongly associated with their experiences of stress in organizational employment. Overall, self-employment was found to be associated with relatively few mental health benefits.     

Perceptions of effective leadership among Central Eurasian managers: A cultural convergence–divergence examination within a globalization context

The purpose of this study is to report on a research project that examined the responses of leaders from eight Central Eurasian countries concerning their perceptions of work-related values of effective organizational leaders. The respondents were participants in a two-week leadership development program held in Istanbul, Turkey. Content analysis of interview protocols and SYMLOG assessment methodology were used to explore two inter-related research questions regarding effective leadership concepts. The results yielded a profile of effective leadership for those interested in working in cross-national settings. The results also provided a cursory indication of the extent of trends in the processes of globalization and cultural convergence of Central Eurasian values, norms, and practices toward those of Western cultures regarding how effective leadership in organizations ought to be executed.     

Quality insights of university students on dying, death, and death education--a preliminary study in Hong Kong

Death is a subject seldom studied in school and often misunderstood and feared by many people. Children often learn about death from their family and mass media. From the literature review on dying, death, and death education, it may be concluded that people are generally ignorant about the issues of death and dying. There is a need to investigate what young people, such as university students, know about death and dying, and their attitudes toward them. Eight university students were recruited for this study. Most participants have had death experiences. They seldom talked about death and loss. Some of these experiences were quite pleasant but some of them were not. Most participants addressed the need to have "life and death" education in schools at their young age. Such a need is further supported by the incidents of two participants who attempted suicide unsuccessfully when they encountered a life problem which they could not solve.     

Coping with the ultimate deprivation: narrative themes in a parental bereavement support group

Support groups are often used to help individuals cope with challenging and unusual life circumstances through narration. Yet, little is known about specific meta-communication within a support group setting and in what ways these interactions may benefit participants. This study uncovers narrative themes that were expressed during a series of support group meetings specific to bereaved parents. Three central narratives were revealed in the analysis including the death story narrative, coping/negotiating narrative, and connecting through communication with others narrative. This research underscores the vital outlet that the support group serves for participants and the communicative means by which subjective healing can occur.     

What managers can find out from exit interviews

What are the best ways to find out not only why people leave the organization, but how to improve the environment and increase productivity or those that stay? Exit interviews can give you hints about what's going on that you can't get any other way. You can learn more about worker expectations, even if they were disappointed, from exit interviews than from a hiring interview. Exit interviews can also show when situations are worsening before that becomes clear through official channels. An exit interview may reveal a developing pattern of departures before the statistics are tabulated. Here are some guidelines for finding out what's really going on without wrecking the political climate and sending turnover to new levels.     

Efficacy of writing for recovery on traumatic grief symptoms of Afghani refugee bereaved adolescents: a randomized control trial

Effective evidence-based intervention for traumatic bereavement is one of the current major research issues in the field of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. The "Writing for Recovery" group intervention is a new treatment approach developed by the Children and War Foundation for traumatized and bereaved children and adolescents after disasters. The purpose of this project was an empirical examination of this intervention with 12- to 18-year-old war bereaved Afghani refugees. Eighty-eight war bereaved Afghani refugees were screened using the Traumatic Grief Inventory for Children (TGIC). From those with the highest total score, 61 were randomly assigned to either an experimental (n = 29) or control group (n = 32). The experimental group received six sessions of group training on 3 consecutive days in their school. The difference of TGIC scores between the experimental group in pretest and posttest was significant (p = 0.001). Results of analysis of covariance also showed a significant effect of Writing for Recovery on the experimental group (p < 0.001). It is concluded that "Writing for Recovery" is an effective group intervention for bereaved children and adolescents after disasters.     

Reporting and Justifying the Number of Interview Participants in Organization and Workplace Research

In this paper we examine established practice regarding the reporting, justification and number of interview participants chosen within organization and workplace studies. For such qualitative research there is a paucity of discussion across the social sciences, the topic receiving far less attention than its centrality warrants. We analysed 798 articles published in 2003 and 2013 in ten top and second tier academic journals, identifying 248 studies using at least one type of qualitative interview. Participant numbers were contingent on characteristics of the population from which they were chosen and approach to analysis, but not the journal, its tier, editorial base or publication year, the interview type or its duration. Despite lack of transparency in reporting (23.4% of studies did not state participant numbers) we reveal a median of 32.5 participants, numbers ranging from one to 330, and no justification for participant numbers in over half of studies. We discuss implications and, recognizing that different philosophical commitments are likely to imply differing norms, offer recommendations regarding reporting, justification and number of participants. Acknowledging exceptions, dependent upon study purpose and data saliency, these include an organization and workplace research norm of 15?60 participants, alongside credible numbers for planning interview research.