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Table 2 Risk factors for pathological bereavement

From: Psychosocial factors affecting the bereavement experience of relatives of palliative-stage cancer patients: a systematic review

Risk factors related to the deceased’s characteristics and to the circumstances of death

Loss of a child, a spouse, a sibling

Death from cancer

Traumatic context (e.g. suicide)

Sudden death

Low preparation for death (not just for suicide)

Specificities induced by the disease and its treatments

Deficient quality of care and end-of-life support

Duration of relationship

Conflicting and avoidant relationship

Dysfunctional family dynamics

Type of attachment to the deceased (insecure, anxious, dependent, ambivalent, disorganized) [10, 12, 16, 23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30]

Risk factors linked to the bereaved

Young and old

Gender (Women)

Low level of income

Low level of education

Childhood neglect and abuse

Insecure attachment mode

Separation anxiety

History of depression, emotional disturbances, psychiatric pathologies

Previous losses, difficult experiences, succession of difficult bereavements, unresolved old bereavements

Low sense of internal control

Coping of dysfunctional grief

Low level of optimism

Feeling of burden

Impact of care on the caregiver's schedule

Negative perception of the death situation

Exhaustion

Difficulties in carrying out daily activities

Lack of religious beliefs

Lack of social resources[10, 12, 16, 23,24,25, 27, 30,31,32,33,34]