Visiting the Site of Death: Experiences of the Bereaved after the 2004 Southeast Asian Tsunami

Abstract

The authors examined how many bereaved relatives of Norwegian tourists who perished in the 2004 Southeast Asian Tsunami had visited the site of death and the most important outcome from the visit. We conducted in-depth interviews (n = 110) and used self-report questionnaires (Impact of Event Scale—Revised, Inventory of Complicated Grief, and General Health Questionnaire) in a total of 130 first-degree family members 2 years post-disaster. Results showed that the majority of participants (n = 113; 87%) had visited the site of death. The most important outcome was gaining an increased understanding of what occurred (61%) and a feeling of closeness to the deceased (21%). Those who had visited the site of death reported lower avoidance behavior and higher degree of acceptance of the loss than non-visitors. Although this could be a cause as well as a consequence of the visit, visiting the site of death may be an important part of the support offered to bereaved families after experiencing a disaster loss.