TOPIC: The impact and sequelae of murder on surviving family and significant others. PURPOSE: To describe the aftermath of murder: losses, reactions, secondary victimization of surviving family members, contextual issues that may affect the grieving process, and psychological impact. SOURCES: Review of the literature and the author's own clinical work. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of a loved one through sudden violence often results in concomitant factors that may compromise the ability of homicide survivors to deal with the trauma, process the loss, and proceed through the tasks of grieving. Further, these factors may put family members at risk for development of posttraumatic stress disorder and complicated mourning.
TOPIC: The impact and sequelae of murder on surviving family and significant others. PURPOSE: To describe the aftermath of murder: losses, reactions, secondary victimization of surviving family members, contextual issues that may affect the grieving process, and psychological impact. SOURCES: Review of the literature and the author's own clinical work. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of a loved one through sudden violence often results in concomitant factors that may compromise the ability of homicide survivors to deal with the trauma, process the loss, and proceed through the tasks of grieving. Further, these factors may put family members at risk for development of posttraumatic stress disorder and complicated mourning.