Bereavement research: Methodological issues and ethical concerns
Open accessAbstract
Principles of conducting research in the field of bereavement are introduced. The review focuses on issues of design and methodology, and considers ethical concerns, particularly in view of the fact that bereaved people are frequently in acute grief when scientific study is conducted. Accurate assessment is fundamental, and requires methodologically stringent procedures. The merits and disadvantages of different types of investigation are considered, the often-neglected need for control groups is described, and quantitative versus qualitative methodological approaches are reviewed. Also considered are biases due to selection and limits on generalizability. Understanding of ethical matters arising in this field of research is essential for the conduct of worthwhile research, and involves methodological sophistication.
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Bereavement research struggles with methodological limits, and many important questions on factors underlying variance in grief outcome remain unanswered.
“However, bereavement research struggles with several methodological limits, and thereby many important questions on the factors underneath variance in grief outcome remain unanswered [5].”
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“However, bereavement research struggles with several methodological limits, and thereby many important questions on the factors underneath variance in grief outcome remain unanswered [5].”
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- Authors
- Stroebe, M., Stroebe, W., & Schut, H.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Venue
- Palliative Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2003-04
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 235-240
- ISSN
- 0269-2163 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-030X
- OpenAlex
- W2083893396
- Cited by
- 203
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 4.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- dspace.library.uu.nl
- Locations
- Palliative Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Keywords
- bereavement, acute grief, research ethics, research design, control groups, selection bias, generalizability, qualitative versus quantitative methods, grief assessment, bereaved people
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Bereavement, Ethics, Medical, Female, Humans, Male, Research Design, Sex Factors, Selection Bias, Patient Selection, Control Groups
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