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Notification, Viewing the Body, and Social and Cultural Considerations After Traumatic Death: A Systematic Literature Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2024

James E. McCarroll Open the ORCID record for James E. McCarroll [Opens in a new window] ,
Joscelyn E. Fisher ,
Stephen J. Cozza ,
Holly H. Mash ,
Quinn M. Biggs ,
Brian W. Flynn  and
Tasanee Walsh
James E. McCarroll*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
Joscelyn E. Fisher
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
Stephen J. Cozza
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
Holly H. Mash
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
Quinn M. Biggs
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
Brian W. Flynn
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
Tasanee Walsh
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
*
Corresponding author: James E. McCarroll; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

We conducted a systematic review of the medical, nursing, forensic, and social science literature describing events and processes associated with what happens after a traumatic death in the socio-cultural context of largely Western and high-income societies. These include death notification, why survivors choose to view or not view the body, forensic practices affecting viewing the body, alternatives to viewing, and social and cultural practices following the death. We also describe how elements of these processes may act to increase or lessen some of the negative cognitive and emotional consequences for both survivors and providers. The information presented is applicable to those who may be faced with traumatic deaths, including those who work in medicine, nursing, and law enforcement, as well as first responders, forensic investigators, funeral directors, and the families of the deceased.

Keywords

traumadeathforensicnotificationbodyremains
Type
Systematic Review
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e256
Creative Commons
To the extent this is a work of the US Government, it is not subject to copyright protection within the United States. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.
Copyright
© Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 2024

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