TY - JOUR
T1 - The Melbourne family grief study, I
T2 - Perceptions of family functioning in bereavement
AU - Kissane, David W.
AU - Bloch, Sidney
AU - Dowe, David L.
AU - Snyder, Ray D.
AU - Onghena, Patrick
AU - McKenzie, Dean P.
AU - Wallace, Christopher S.
PY - 1996/1/1
Y1 - 1996/1/1
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to identify patterns of families after the death of a parent. Method: one hundred fifteen families completed measures of family functioning, grief, psychological state, and social adjustment 6 weeks (time 1), 6 months (time 2), and 13 months (time 3) after the death of a parent (a total of 670 individual responses). Cluster analytic methods were applied to develop a typology of perceptions of family functioning during bereavement. Results: Five types of families emerged from dimensions of cohesiveness, conflict, and expressiveness on the Family Environment Scale. Thirty-six percent of the families were considered supportive because of their high cohesiveness, and another 23% resolved conflict effectively. Two types were dysfunctional: hostile families, distinguished by high conflict, low cohesiveness, and poor expressiveness, and sullen families, who had more moderate limitations in these three areas; they declined in frequency from 30% at time 1 to 15% at time 3. The remaining type (26%), termed intermediate, exhibited midrange cohesiveness, low control, and low achievement orientation. The typology at time 1 predicted typologies at time 2 and time 3. There were no age or gender differences among the family types, but offspring, as compared with spouses, were overrepresented in the hostile families. Conclusions: Family types can be identified, allowing at-risk families to be helped to prevent complications of grif. Screening with the family relationship index of the Family Environment Scale would facilitate such a family-centered approach.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to identify patterns of families after the death of a parent. Method: one hundred fifteen families completed measures of family functioning, grief, psychological state, and social adjustment 6 weeks (time 1), 6 months (time 2), and 13 months (time 3) after the death of a parent (a total of 670 individual responses). Cluster analytic methods were applied to develop a typology of perceptions of family functioning during bereavement. Results: Five types of families emerged from dimensions of cohesiveness, conflict, and expressiveness on the Family Environment Scale. Thirty-six percent of the families were considered supportive because of their high cohesiveness, and another 23% resolved conflict effectively. Two types were dysfunctional: hostile families, distinguished by high conflict, low cohesiveness, and poor expressiveness, and sullen families, who had more moderate limitations in these three areas; they declined in frequency from 30% at time 1 to 15% at time 3. The remaining type (26%), termed intermediate, exhibited midrange cohesiveness, low control, and low achievement orientation. The typology at time 1 predicted typologies at time 2 and time 3. There were no age or gender differences among the family types, but offspring, as compared with spouses, were overrepresented in the hostile families. Conclusions: Family types can be identified, allowing at-risk families to be helped to prevent complications of grif. Screening with the family relationship index of the Family Environment Scale would facilitate such a family-centered approach.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029986146&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1176/ajp.153.5.650
DO - 10.1176/ajp.153.5.650
M3 - Article
C2 - 8615410
AN - SCOPUS:0029986146
SN - 0002-953X
VL - 153
SP - 650
EP - 658
JO - American Journal of Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Psychiatry
IS - 5
ER -