Grief and delivering a statement in court: a longitudinal mixed-method study among homicidally bereaved people

European Journal of Psychotraumatology, vol. 15, pp. 2297541

Abstract

Background: Participating in a criminal trial may increase the likelihood of developing psychopathology. In 2021, people bereaved by a plane disaster (flight MH17) had the opportunity to deliver a victim personal statement (VPS) in Dutch court.Objective: This longitudinal mixed-method study examined different aspects of 84 bereaved people’s experiences with VPS delivery.Method: Motivations to deliver, or not deliver, an oral VPS were examined qualitatively using thematic content analysis. Whether background and loss-related variables were related to the decision to deliver a VPS was examined using binary logistic regression analyses. Between-group (delivered VPS vs. did not) and within-group (pre- vs. post-VPS) comparisons were made regarding prolonged grief disorder (PGD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression levels using t-tests and paired t-tests.Results: Bereaved people were most frequently motivated to deliver an oral VPS to describe the impact of the incident, while those who did not deliver an oral VPS commonly wanted to protect themselves from the perceived emotional burden. None of the correlates – i.e. biological sex, age, level of education, number of losses, and (closest) relationship to the deceased – were related to the decision to deliver a VPS. Lastly, significantly higher PGD, PTSD, and depression levels were reported by people who delivered a VPS than those who did not, before and after the court hearing. No significant within-group differences were found over time.Conclusions: Professionals may provide emotional support to bereaved people who want to deliver a VPS and manage their expectations if they want to deliver a VPS for the purpose of symptom reduction. Future research may benefit from examining other ways in which VPS delivery might have beneficial or detrimental effects for specific individuals. Overall, implementing VPS delivery in court on the basis of emotional restoration remains empirically unsupported, if defined as a reduction in psychopathological levels.

Authors 5

1. Lieke C J Nijborg corresponding

   University of Twente

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Twente

   Department of Psychology, Health, and Technology, Faculty of Behavioural, Management, and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands

2. Maarten Jacob Johannes Kunst Aachen Faculty of Law, Leiden University Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Faculty of Law, Leiden University

   Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands

3. Gerben J. Westerhof

   University of Twente

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Twente

   Department of Psychology, Health, and Technology, Faculty of Behavioural, Management, and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands

4. Jos de Keijser

   University of Groningen

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Groningen

   Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural, and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands

5. Lonneke I. M. Lenferink

   University of Groningen · Utrecht University · University of Twente

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Groningen

   University of Twente

   Utrecht University

   Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

   Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural, and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands

   Department of Psychology, Health, and Technology, Faculty of Behavioural, Management, and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands