Guilt and Bereavement: Effect of the Cause of Death, and Measuring Instruments

Abstract

Guilt is a common reaction in bereavement. Our aim is to explore the guilt in bereavement depending on the cause of death. The sample involved 73 participants who had lost a family member to a terminal illness, suicide, sudden illness, accident, or perinatal death. Guilt was measured using the items of self-blame and regret in the Tübingen Bereavement Symptoms Questionnaire, the SC-35, and the Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS). The results reveal significant differences in suicide bereavement on the self-blame subscale compared with unexpected natural death. Further there are significant differences in suicide bereavement in the regret subscale compared with unexpected natural death, and in the BGS as regards both an expected and an unexpected natural death. There are no significant differences in guilt when it is measured through the SC-35. These data suggest that the measurement of guilt in bereavement calls for the use of specific scales for this context.