How is grief experienced by men who have killed a loved one? V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How is grief experienced by men who have killed a loved one? Perspectives of patients and staff within a high secure hospital.
IRAS ID
333579
Contact name
Olivia Shaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The State Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 16 days
Research summary
In every society, a set of social norms around grieving exists. These norms dictate who has a legitimate right to grieve, how long they should grieve, and for whom they should grieve. When an individual experiences a loss that falls outside of these norms it may remain unacknowledged, resulting in disenfranchised grief.
Those experiencing disenfranchised grief are more likely to experience psychological distress and adverse outcomes. It is likely that individuals who have killed a loved one while mentally unwell may experience disenfranchised grief, which could act as a barrier to engagement with mental health services and contribute to reduced quality of life.
This study, therefore, will explore how grief is experienced by individuals who have killed a loved one while experiencing mental health difficulties, from the perspective of the individuals themselves and clinicians. Participants will be asked to take part in an interview, which is expected to take between 45 and 90 minutes.
Following the interview, the researcher will analyse the responses of participants using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, which aims to explore how people make sense of their personal and social worlds. Basic demographic information will also be collected from participants using a questionnaire.
The findings will be anonymized and written up as part of the researcher’s doctoral thesis. Additionally, a summary of the findings will be presented to clinicians and researchers. The findings will be submitted to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Participants will be offered a choice as to whether they would like to receive a written summary of the findings.
This research may help clinicians understand how to better support patients who may be grieving after they have killed their loved one, which may improve therapeutic outcomes.
This research is expected to start in January 2024 and end in spring 2025.REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
24/WA/0096
Date of REC Opinion
17 May 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion