Psychiatry Investig.  2017 May;14(3):231-239. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.231.

Unresolved Bereavement and Other Mental Health Problems in Parents of the Sewol Ferry Accident after 18 Months

• Huh HJ
• Huh S
• Lee SH
• Chae JH

• KMID: 2378638
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.231

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study examined the overall mental health consequences of the bereaved parents after the Sewol ferry accident.
METHODS
Eighty-four bereaved parents participated in the study. Self-report scales assessing the severity of psychiatric symptoms and other related psychosomatic problems were used at 18 months following the accident. Univariate descriptive statistics and regression analyses were performed to report the prevalence, severity, and correlates of psychiatric symptoms.
RESULTS
94% of the participants appeared to suffer from complicated grief based on scores on the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG). Half of the participants were categorized as having severe depression and 70.2% reported clinically significant post-traumatic symptoms according to scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and PTSD Check List-5 (PCL-5). No significant differences by gender were observed in the severity of psychiatric symptoms. A higher educational level was associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms in fathers.
CONCLUSION
The loss of a child due to a disaster caused by human error may continue to have a substantial impact on parental mental health at 18 months after the event. A longitudinal study following parents' mental health state would be necessary to investigate the long-term effects of the traumatic experience in the future.

Keyword

Bereavement; Disaster; Complicated grief

MeSH Terms

Bereavement*
Child
Depression
Disasters
Fathers
Grief
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Mental Health*
Parents*
Prevalence
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Weights and Measures