Bakgrund: Suicid är den vanligaste dödsorsaken i Sverige för män mellan 25-44 år och kvinnor mellan 20-39 år. Vid ett suicid kan så många som 25 närstående beröras. År 2007 begicks 1126 konstaterade suicid vilket kan resultera i över 25 000 berörda i Sverige detta år Syftet: Syftet var att beskriva upplevelser av och vad som påverkar sorgearbetet för närstående efter ett suicid. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie genomfördes genom sökning av kvantitativa och kvalitativa artiklar. Sammanlagt nio stycken artiklar granskades och analyserades. Resultat: Sorgen efter ett suicid är mer komplicerad och långdragen än efter ett väntat eller naturligt dödsfall. Sorgen efter ett suicid utmärks av skam, skuld och stigmatisering. Konflikter inom familjen är vanligt, vilket ytterligare försvårar sorgen. Ilska är en annan utmärkande faktor för sorg efter ett suicid. Ilskan bidrar till ökad skam, skuld och stigmatisering då detta kan uppfattas som en ”förbjuden” känsla i samband med ett dödfall. Slutsats: Närstående som upplevt ett suicid behöver längre tid än andra att få sörja. I dagens samhälle saknas denna förståelse både från omgivning, vårdpersonal och olika instanser i samhället. Det finns väldigt lite forskning inom detta område i Sverige och denna uppsats visar på behovet av ytterligare forskning och utbildning. / Background: Suicide is the leading cause of death in Sweden for men between the age of 25 and 44 and women between the age of 20 and 39. Vid ett suicid berörs så många som 25 närstående.A suicide could affect as many as 25 relatives.År 2007 begicks  1126 konstaterade suicid vilket kan resultera i över 25 000 berörda i Sverige detta år Syftet: Syftet var att beskriva närståendes till personer som begått suicid, upplevelser av  och vad som påverkar sorgearbetet. In year 2007, 1126 suicides were established in Sweden, which could have affected more than 25 000 persons that year. Aim: The aim was to describe the experiences of and what things that affect the process of grieving for next of kin of persons who had committed suicides.Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie genom sökning av kvantitativa och kvalitativa artiklar. Method: A literature review of quantitative and qualitative articles.Sammanlagt 9 st artiklar granskades och analyserades. Resultat: Sorgen efter ett suicid är mer komplicerad och långdragen än efter ett väntat/naturligt dödsfall. A total of nine articles were reviewed and analyzed. Results: The grief following a suicide is more complicated and lengthy than the one that occurs after an expected or natural death.Sorgen efter ett suicid utmärks av skam, skuld och stigmatisering. The grief following a suicide is characterized by shame, guilt and stigma.Konflikter inom familjen är vanligt, vilket ytterligare försvårar sorgen. Conflicts within families are common, which further complicates the grieving.Ilska är en annan utmärkande faktor för sorg efter ett suicid. Anger is another distinguishing factor in the mourning after a suicide.Ilskan bidrar till ökad skam, skuld och stigmatisering då detta kan uppfattas som en ”förbjuden” känsla i samband med ett dödfall. Anger contributes to greater shame, guilt and stigma as anger may be perceived as a "forbidden" feeling associated with a death. Conclusion: Relatives that experience a suicide needs more time than others to grieve.I dagens samhälle saknas denna förståelse både bland omgivning, vårdpersonal och olika instanser i samhället. In today's society there is a lack of such understanding among both those close to the relative, the health professionals and various agencies in the community. Det finns väldigt lite forskning inom detta område i Sverige och denna uppsats visar på detta behov av ytterligare forskning och utbildning.There is very little research in this field in Sweden and this paper demonstrates this need for further research and education.

Each year over 3000 children in Sweden lose a parent. The loss of a parent may cause some grave changes in a child’s life, leading to both mental and physical consequences. The purpose of this literature study is to examine the different ways in which health care personnel can better receive and relate to children whose parents are dying or have passed away. Data was collected through such sources as Pubmed, Academic Search Elite and Cinahl, which resulted in the inclusion of sixteen subsequent articles, ten of which were quantitative and six of which were qualitative. Thirteen of the said articles illustrate how children act in response to a dying or deceased parent and what measures were needed for them to move on with their lives. The child, bereaved parent and health care personnel were all examined within the studies. However, the authors of the remaining three Swedish articles had quite a different purpose from those already mentioned. There aim was to examine recommendations as to whether a child should visit a seriously ill relative at an Intensive Care Unit, as well as the subsequent opinions of both parent and health cars personnel to this visitation. Results showed that it was very beneficial for children and parents alike to receive information and support from health care personnel both during and after the parents period of suffering and eventual death. It was found that, if health care personnel or other adult for that matter regularly engaged with the child, alleviating any fears, then the risk for further psychological problems was reduced. / Varje år förlorar över 3000 barn i Sverige en förälder. Då ett barn förlorat en förälder innebär detta stora förändringar i deras liv som kan leda till konsekvenser för hälsan, både psykiskt och fysiskt. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att ta reda på hur vårdpersonal på olika sätt kan förhålla sig till och bemöta barn vars föräldrar är döende eller avlidit. Data samlades in genom sökningar i Pubmed, Academic Search Elite och Cinahl. Sökningen resulterade i sexton inkluderade artiklar. Av dessa var tio kvantitativa och sex kvalitativa. Tretton artiklar hade syftet att på olika sätt belysa frågan hur barn som hade en förälder som var döende eller avlidit reagerade och vad de behövde för att kunna gå vidare i sitt liv. Studierna hade både barnet, den överlevande föräldern och vårdpersonal som undersökningsgrupp. I tre svenska artiklar hade artiklarna ett annat syfte. De undersökte om det fanns rekommendationer för huruvida barn skulle besöka sina svårt sjuka anhöriga på en intensivvårdsavdelning och hur vårdpersonalen och föräldrarna tyckte om att barnen var på besök. Resultatet visade att det var värdefullt för både barn och föräldrar att få information och stöttning från vårdpersonal både under den döende förälderns sjukdom och även när föräldern avlidit. Om vårdpersonal eller någon annan vuxen regelbundet förklarar och pratar med barnet så minskar riskerna för att barnet skall få psykiska problem

Increasingly, technology impacts how we communicate and behave following the death of a loved one. However, little is known about technology use by the bereaved. This thesis contributes to understanding this phenomenon through three linked studies. These studies establish an appreciation of how technology engages with human mortality, and proposes "thanatosensitive design" (TSD) as an approach for developing such systems. An exploratory study fi rst examines technology use by the bereaved through a survey with follow-up interviews. Findings show that systems for inheriting data and devices are lacking, despite widespread use of technology for remembrance and communication. Using digital assets in social support is selected as a domain for further inquiry. The second study consists of focus groups with bereaved parents at two community organizations complemented by the perspectives of professional bereavement workers. Based on this fieldwork, 6 considerations concerning interpersonal communication, new ways of being, and materiality are presented. These considerations suggest that systems should permit connections with peers, support storytelling activities, and avoid tendencies to "fix" grief, among others. In the final study, I present Besupp - a website that permits bereaved users to engage in online peer-support groups. Besupp applied these design considerations and was deployed in a 10-week study. Nineteen bereaved individuals met in 3 support groups for bereaved parents, partners/spouses, and young adults. Based on system logs/data, questionnaires, and interviews, the study identified barriers to using digital mementos, preferences for online support systems, and issues concerning timing of use. In the discussion, I reflect on the three studies through four thematic lenses: temporality, materiality, identity, and research ethics/methods. I remark on how systems should consider the varying emotional needs of the bereaved over time. In the conclusion, I summarize and reflect on the status of TSD and identify areas for future work concerning social support for the bereaved, and computing's role at the end of life more broadly.

Increasingly, technology impacts how we communicate and behave following the death of a loved one. However, little is known about technology use by the bereaved. This thesis contributes to understanding this phenomenon through three linked studies. These studies establish an appreciation of how technology engages with human mortality, and proposes "thanatosensitive design" (TSD) as an approach for developing such systems. An exploratory study fi rst examines technology use by the bereaved through a survey with follow-up interviews. Findings show that systems for inheriting data and devices are lacking, despite widespread use of technology for remembrance and communication. Using digital assets in social support is selected as a domain for further inquiry. The second study consists of focus groups with bereaved parents at two community organizations complemented by the perspectives of professional bereavement workers. Based on this fieldwork, 6 considerations concerning interpersonal communication, new ways of being, and materiality are presented. These considerations suggest that systems should permit connections with peers, support storytelling activities, and avoid tendencies to "fix" grief, among others. In the final study, I present Besupp - a website that permits bereaved users to engage in online peer-support groups. Besupp applied these design considerations and was deployed in a 10-week study. Nineteen bereaved individuals met in 3 support groups for bereaved parents, partners/spouses, and young adults. Based on system logs/data, questionnaires, and interviews, the study identified barriers to using digital mementos, preferences for online support systems, and issues concerning timing of use. In the discussion, I reflect on the three studies through four thematic lenses: temporality, materiality, identity, and research ethics/methods. I remark on how systems should consider the varying emotional needs of the bereaved over time. In the conclusion, I summarize and reflect on the status of TSD and identify areas for future work concerning social support for the bereaved, and computing's role at the end of life more broadly.

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Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att beskriva vilka behov närstående har vid nära anhörigs dödsfall. Litteratursökningar gjordes i databaserna Medline och Cinahl. Sökningarna resulterade i 19 artiklar med ett bortfall på 3 artiklar. Studiens resultat grundades på 16 vetenskapliga artiklar som granskades och analyserades. I resultatet framkom sex kategorier. De närstående hade ett behov av att få ärlig och förståelig information från sjuksköterskan samt att få försäkran om att sjukvårdspersonalen gjort sitt bästa för patienten. Att vara välinformerad hade en positiv effekt på de närståendes förmåga att bemästra sorgen. De närstående beskrev ett behov av att få möta samma personal för att känna trygghet och stöd. En avskild plats och möjlighet till ett sista farväl var högt värderat. Att få ett respektfullt och empatiskt bemötande av sjuksköterskan var betydelsefullt för de närstående samt att familjen och patienten betraktades som mänskliga. De närstående hade ett behov av att sjuksköterskan gav dem tid och var fullt närvarande. Många närstående upplevde ett behov av hjälp i ensamheten efter dödsfallet, denna hjälp kunde bestå av brev eller uppföljningssamtal. Sammanfattningsvis är det är av stor vikt att sjuksköterskan är medveten om närståendes behov vid nära anhörigs dödsfall samt det faktum att sörjande är en individuell process. / The aim of this literature study was to describe the needs of family members when a loved one dies. Searches were carried out in the databases Medline and Cinahl. This resulted in 19 scientific articles from which 3 were excluded. The results of this study were based on 16 scientific articles which were examined and analyzed. The result showed six categories. The family members had a need of getting honest and understandable information from the nurse and to get reassurance that everything has been done for the patient. When the family members were well informed, they could easier cope with their grief. The family members described a need of meeting the same staff to feel secure and supported. A separate area and a possibility to say a last goodbye were important needs. To be met with respect and empathy and to be treated as humans were valuable for the family members. The family members also expressed a need of having a nurse who gave them time and was fully present. The family members felt a need to be helped in the lonely times that can occur after the death of a loved one, letters and follow up calls were appreciated. In conclusion, it is very important that nurses are aware of the needs of the family members when their loved one dies and also the fact that grieving is an individual process.

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine bereaved individuals’ experiences of support from their social networks and participation in support groups. The theoretical framework is based on theories about social support and parts of the attachment theory. Data were collected from four interviews and analysed by the study’s theoretical framework. The results have shown that the interviewed persons found emotional, instrumental and informative support from their own social networks important after their loss. Receiving constructive feedback from the social networks, and or various support groups, were also important factors. The interviewed persons expressed that the perceived and offered support was not satisfying and that they would have appreciated further help. The results also showed that most of the inter-viewed persons found their participation in support groups important as the groups made it possible for them to express their inherent feelings and thoughts. They also found it important to be able to talk with individuals who had experienced similar losses. My findings support earlier research that states the importance of social support and the possibility to express grieving reactions after a loss.

Previous research has greatly ignored the unique stressors that homicide survivors experience following the murder of their loved one, indicating a general lack of understanding of the experiences and reactions they are subjected to or the coping mechanisms that they utilize. What little research that had been conducted has largely been made up of anecdotal insight of psychological practitioners who had worked with clients. A need exists to speak with the survivors themselves to chronicle their experiences in as much detail as possible to help researchers and practitioners wrap their mind around the totality of the loss as well as ground future research. The participants in the study consisted of twelve persons who had immediate family members who had been murdered. Participants were interviewed utilizing Lincoln & Guba?s Naturalistic Inquiry paradigm. They were initially interviewed and encouraged to discuss their loss in narrative and then were asked a series of specific questions that may or may not have been discussed during the narrative. The collected data was analyzed utilizing the constant comparison methodology. Results indicate that many homicide survivors feel overwhelmed by the changes that occur in the short and long term. None of the participants reported positive experiences interacting with mental health practitioners but virtually everyone endorsed peer-group support. There was also evidence that participants whose loved one was murdered by a person of an ethnicity that differed from their own resulted in racist feelings towards the other ethnicity. Further, there was no evidence that the process of interviewing homicide survivors was in and of itself negatively perceived or harmful; rather some participants reported feeling relieved that they were able to discuss their loss in totality without having to edit themselves. Results suggest that homicide survivors may spend an unusual amount of time reflecting on the person that their loved one may have become had they not been murdered. Suggestions also include how to best notify and support homicide survivors and how practitioners may best relate with their clients.

<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>: Several people die every year. The numbers of deceased in Sweden were 91449 in 2008. This often brings bereavement for the relatives and in hospital with end-of-life care it can be important for the health professionals to support and also take care of the relatives. <strong>AIM</strong>: The aim of this study is to illuminate relatives’ experiences of the caring situation with end-of life-care when a close relative is dying <strong>METHOD</strong>: Literature review. A number of thirteen scientific articles were analyzed. These were previous research of both qualitative and quantitative methods. <strong>RESULT</strong>: The result shows that many relatives are in need of a good treatment from health professionals, where the treatment includes components like providing support, providing information, creating a good relationship and having a good communication. A trust in health professionals was important for the relatives because it brought knowledge that good care was provided to the patient. It also indicates that participation was important in end-of-life care. There was a safety in having someone at the relative´s side who could offer aid. A quiet and calm environment was positive. <strong>DISCUSSION</strong>: The nurse´s experience and knowledge about bereavement is an important part of the care providing to the relatives.</p> / <p><strong>BAKGRUND</strong>: Varje år dör många människor och i Sverige dog 91 449 människor år 2008. Detta medför sorg för många närstående och medför även att vårdpersonalen har en stor del i att ge stöd och ta hand om de närstående samtidigt som de tar hand om vårdtagaren. <strong>SYFTE</strong>: Syftet är att belysa närståendes upplevelser av omvårdnadssituationen kring vården vid livets slut av en nära anhörig. <strong>METOD</strong>: Litteraturstudie. Tretton vetenskapliga artiklar analyserades. Dessa var tidigare forskning av både kvalitativa och kvantitativa studier. <strong>RESULTAT</strong>: Resultatet visar att många närstående är i behov av ett gott bemötande från vårdpersonal, där det med bemötande ingår komponenter som att ge stöd, att ge information, att skapa en god relation och att ha en god kommunikation. Ett förtroende för vårdpersonalen var viktigt för att närstående skulle veta att en god omvårdnad gavs till vårdtagaren. Det visar även på att delaktighet var betydelsefullt i vården vid livets slut. Det var en trygghet att ha någon vid sin sida som kunde erbjuda stöd. En lugn och behaglig miljö med hemtrevlig inredning var positivt. <strong>DISKUSSION</strong>: Sjuksköterskans erfarenhet och kunskap om sorg har en betydelse i hur närstående tas om hand.</p>