Acute grief process lived in condolence houses in Diyarbakir and determination of the factors affecting its severity

Aim: In this study, determination of state anxiety levels and other mourning reactions of individuals who lost their close relatives in first few days of the lost and the effects of closeness degree and gender on mourning reactions were aimed.Method: The study was carried out on 122 subjects (49 female, 73 male) who were close relatives of a died person and mourning in the condolence houses which became an institution for mourning and were located in Diyarbakir and its settlement areas. Fifty-four individuals (27 female, 27 male), who were present at condolence house for condolence but not close relatives of death person, have been included into the study as controls. All the participants were informed about the study and their informed consents were taken. They were asked for filling a sociodemographic data from, state anxiety inventory and a list of emotional-behavioral reactions that may arise during mourning.Result: Acute mourning was observed to be more severely experienced in the first degree relatives (F=13. 976, p<0.001), and their state anxiety level was also higher (Mean SAI level in first degree relatives was 53.3 ±8,9; in second degree relatives was 44.1±9,6; in third degree relatives was 43.9±11,6). Sudden death increased the severity of mourning; mean SAI score in relatives of suddenly died person was 51.8±8.9, whereas, it was 45.8±11.4 in the relatives of individuals whose death was expected (t=3.257, p<0.001). Mourning symptoms were more severe among women in the study group. SAI score was 53.7±8.2 in women and 45.4±10.8 in males (t=4.571, p<0.001). Psycho-physiological reactions were observed to be more severe in close relatives of when compared to controls (e.g. having symptoms of intense thoughts and daydreams about died person z=5.009, p<0.001).Conclusion: Mourning is a process which varies from culture to culture and from individual to individual. Individuals in mourning are affected more and their anxiety levels become higher as their closeness degree increases to the lost person, and when it occurs unexpectedly and suddenly. In mourning process women are affected more negatively than men.Key words: Acute mourning, kinship, gender, state anxiety inventory