Loss Of Relatives Research Articles

Attachment to God, depression and loss in late life: a longitudinal study

ABSTRACTPrior research shows that being anxiously and avoidantly attached to God is associated with psychologically problematic outcomes including depressive feelings. However, a clear understanding of how these insecure attachments to God are associated with depressive feelings is still missing. Therefore, a longitudinal study among 329 nursing home residents aged 65–99 was set up to investigate the prospective relation between anxious and avoidant attachment to God and the experience of depressive feelings, as well as whether this relation is moderated by a loss experience. That is, the loss of close relatives can be particularly stressful in late life, challenging existing attachment relationships and placing older adults at risk for depression. Results confirm that insecure attachments to God are distinctly related to depressive feelings, but that this relation is not moderated by a loss experience. Our results also show that depressive feelings predicts attachment to God, instead of the other way around.

Predictors of persistent sleep problems among older disaster survivors: a natural experiment from the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami.

To examine prospectively the associations of disaster experiences and social support with sleep problems in older adults. Data came from a natural experiment caused by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. Participants in an ongoing prospective cohort (3547 Japanese individuals aged 65 years or older) were inadvertently exposed to the disaster due to their residential location (Iwanuma city) after the 2010 baseline survey. We conducted a follow-up survey in 2013 to inquire about disaster-related experiences and short sleep duration, sleep insufficiency, poor sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, and sleep medication use. Poisson regression models adjusted for baseline socio-demographic and lifestyle covariates. Financial hardship predicted increased risks of short sleep duration (relative risk [RR] = 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.03, 1.90]), sleep insufficiency (RR = 1.29; 95% CI [1.01, 1.66]), poor sleep quality (RR = 1.47; 95% CI [1.26, 1.70]), and insomnia symptoms (RR = 1.13; 95% CI [1.01, 1.28]). Home destruction predicted sleep medication use while health care disruption predicted poor sleep quality. Loss of close relatives or friends did not predict any sustained sleep problems. Additionally, having instrumental support reduced risks of all sleep problems while having emotional support reduced risk of poor sleep quality. Approximately 2.5 years after the disaster, older survivors' sleep problems were more durably linked to material aspects of disaster damage than to loss of loved ones. Findings could inform targeted recovery efforts for groups with greatest need to promote older survivors' sleep health and overall well-being.

Psychological experiences of refugees and the response of the community in the Lake Chad region

ABSTRACTThe Lake Chad region, which is an intersection of four countries, namely Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, has been a major battleground of violence and terrorism. Poverty is prevalent in the region – a situation which it has been argued is one of the factors accounting for the successful operation of Boko Haram. In the midst of limited economic activity, it is important to understand the psychological impact of the insurgency on the lives of displaced persons who have resettled in new communities. Sixty-seven refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) were interviewed from nine communities in Cameroon and Nigeria. Participants have been psychologically affected by loss of relatives and property, and even by displacement from their homeland. Also, limited economic opportunities in the region has manifested in an inability of the people to have access to income generating activities. The host communities have, however, provided support to the participants by accepting them as equal members of the society, and concerted efforts have been made to integrate them into the community. The study has implications for policy-making, in terms of governments and international partners exploring ways to create economic opportunities, so as to advance the lives of displaced persons in the region.

Claiming What Is Rightfully Mine.

Although adopted persons did not choose to be adopted, their life-long task is to come to terms with its meaning, which includes absence of important information about their family health history. Problematic encounters with health care professionals inspired contributors' narratives recognizing compelling need for accurate information about themselves as well as access to empathic and resourceful medical professionals. A key issue pervading the narratives was loss: loss of birth name and identity, loss of birth relatives and history, and often loss of birth culture. In response to this deeply felt sense of loss, many authors expressed the need to claim what they believe to be rightfully theirs, namely, information about their own history. Policy and practice recommendations regarding training of health care professionals as well as access to original birth records and ongoing family health information are discussed.

Prevalence of Depression Among Patients With Thalassemia in Southern of Iran

Background: Major thalassemia is known as the most prevalent genetic disorder in Iran. Patients with major thalassemia suffer mostly from psychological problems particularly depression, which can decrease their efficiency in life. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the prevalence of depression among these patients. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive, cross-sectional research was conducted during summer, 2014 in Abu Raihan Special Disease Center of Bandar Abbas. A sample of 275 patients was selected through the convenient sampling method. The inclusion criterion was afflicted with major thalassemia while the exclusion criterion was an unwillingness to participate or incomplete questionnaires. A demographic information inquiry was made of the subjects followed by Beck Depression Inventory. The elicited data entered SPSS ver.19 for the required statistical analyses. T-test, mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data, and the significance level was set at ˂0.05. Result: The results revealed that 41.5% of the sample suffered from a high depression rate. Significant correlations were found between depression and loss of close relatives, history of depression, family rows, and the history of psychological diseases in the family. Conclusion: Considering the prevalence of depression in Iran (41.5%), these patients need more support and attention especially to their psychological state.

Starość wkraczaniem w ostatni etap dojrzewania do eschatologii

The article addresses the problem of old age as the final stage of maturing to eschatology and discusses four issues: 1) definitions of old age, 2) the symptoms and framework of old age, 3) the positive and negative dimensions of old age, and 4) eschatology in a senior person's life. The first issue precisely defines the concept of old age in various aspects: the biblical aspect (one's approach to old age changing with the advance of Revelation), the pastoral (granting the Church's pastoral care to senior citizens), social (an aging person may experience a sense of isolation, the escalation of eschatological problems and mental crises, caused, among others, by fear of the future, withdrawal from work and social roles, lower social status, fewer professional contacts), psychological (the rate and image of aging depend on genetics, life experiences and adaptation strategies), pedagogical (three areas of education: 1. preparing for old age addressed to younger generations, 2. during old age, concerning older people, 3. through old age, implemented, usually unintentionally, by elderly people in their environment). In “Symptoms and frameworks of old age,” the second issue, old age is usually described after reaching 60 years of age. The most common symptoms of old age are: weakening of the biological functions of the body and changes in mental abilities and social adaptation, especially in the implementation of social, cultural and spiritual tasks. In addition, this issue is based on Biblical texts, presented in the context of accepting Revelation and different ways of interpreting the length of human life on earth. The “Positive and negative dimension of old age,” the third issue, shows the positive aspects of old age (e.g. satisfaction from going into retirement after hard work, the opportunity to devote more time to one's spouse, raising grandchildren, and re-evaluating various activities) and the negative (e.g. awareness of the end of one’s life, fear of death, loss of close relatives, loss of the feeling that you are needed and useful). It should also be emphasized that these mentioned old age experiences, characteristic of individual elderly people, are not equally experienced by all, because each specific case depends on the family context, the applied system of values, psychological maturity, etc. “Eschatology in the life of a senior person,” the fourth issue, introduces the concept of eschatology in non-Christian religions, in the Holy Bible, in theology, and above all emphasizes the process of shaping eschatology throughout the Church's history and teachings. The essence of eschatology is to turn completely to Christ, and not the temporal waiting for the end of the world and its transformation. There is now a departure from the name “last things” and it is being replaced by a Christological formula: the only “Last Thing” of all creation, present now in the Person of Jesus Christ, and finally fulfilled in eternity, is God.

Risk-Taking, Trust, and Traumatization Among Syrian Refugees in Jordan A Lab-in-The-Field Experiment

An unprecedented number of refugees from Syria has sought refuge in both the Middle East as well as in Europe since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011. Refugees do not only bring patterns of behavior they have acquired over their childhood and adolescence with them but also the – possibly traumatic – civil war experience. In this paper, we inquire whether traumatization affects behavior. We report the results of experiments run in Jordan in March and May 2017 among both Syrian refugees and Jordanians. More specifically, we report results regarding risk preferences, trust, and altruism. It turns out that the choices made by Syrian students are often statistically indistinguishable from the choices made by Jordanian students whereas there are significant differences in behavior between Syrian non-students and both of our student samples. The degree of traumatization has some effects on behavior in these games. It is driven by having experienced the loss of close relatives in Syria and by having spent some time in refugee camps in Jordan.

Vision of Death in Emily Dickinson's Selected Poems

Poetry is greatly influenced by the cultural background and personal experiences of the poets. Emily Dickson’s poems exemplify this because she draws a lot of her motivation from her heritage of New England and her life experience which had harsh incidents such as loss of friends and relatives. She lives a life of seclusion, where she rarely has face-to-face encounter with her friends as she prefers communicating through letters. Her limited interaction with the society gives her adequate space to reflect and write about different aspects of life. Emily’s poetry is also influenced by the doubts she holds about Christianity, especially in relation with survival of the soul after death. "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "I Heard a Fly Buzz- when I Died" are among her popular poems that indicate her religious doubt. She agrees with some of the Calvinist religious beliefs, but still has some doubts about the innate depravity of mankind and the concept of the afterlife.Dickinson’s spiritual background is indicated by her religious beliefs, which form the basis of her preoccupation with death. Although Dickinson is a religious person who believes in the inevitability of death and afterlife, she is a non-conformist as she is skeptical and curious about the nature of death. Transcendentalism is the other factor that contributes to Dickinson’s preoccupation with death as indicated in her poems. Dickinson’s preoccupation with death also results from her obsession, which is greatly contributed by the life experiences she has with death including loss of her family, mentors and close friends.

The perceptions of Greek immigrants in Germany about the health illness and pain in the context of mental health

AimThis study aims to investigate the perceptions of health, disease and pain issues among Greek immigrant, living in Germany, as they were formed through their previous experiences, their immigration routes and their experiences in a new sociocultural environment, while taking under consideration their varying cultural backgrounds.Material-methodThis research was based on the personal interpretations of ten Greek immigrant (6 women and 4 men). As to methodology, qualitative research was employed. The methodological tools used for the collection of the material were semi-structured interviews (face to face), participant observation and a field diary. Finally, the method of analysis used for the empirical material was content thematic analysis.ResultsAll participants experienced immigration as an especially stressful period of their lives that changed their state of health (these changes extend from physical complaints to manifestation of depression). Most person describe life in Germany as difficult due to various problems (loss of relatives and friends’ social networks, poor language knowledge, isolation, etc.). However, the public health system's organization (regardless any flaws), which ensures their access to health services, positively contributed in changing their attitudes regarding the issues under question. Lastly, the reference to psycho-traumatic situations, transitional life phases, as well as to stimuli in the difficult everyday life feed person's meaning-makings about pain.ConclusionsThe research's results showed that health and disease are not only biologically determined phenomena. They also are socially determined situations, given that they are not only related to changes in the individual's psychology but are influenced by the broader sociocultural environment in which the individual lives and works.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Diagnostics and multimodal treatment of depression in old age : New developments

Depressive disorders in elderly persons are frequent and can either first be manifested at a younger age and show a recurrent pattern during later life (ICD10, F33.*) or have an onset beyond 60years, which is termed late onset depression (LOD). This LOD has a higher tendency to chronification and implies an increased risk of progression, especially to vascular dementia. The multifactorial genesis of depression in old age includes psychosocial, vascular and metabolic factors and requires multimodal therapy modules at the biological and psychosocial level, which is now increasingly being empirically proven. Depressive disorders with executive and cognitive deficits have to be considered adefined entity with respect to prognosis and treatment. As afirst step of treatment watchful waiting is appropriate, especially in depressive adjustment disorders triggered by acute psychosocial stressors (e.g. loss of relatives and conflicts). After 2-4weeks pharmacological antidepressant therapy should be initiated, at least in amoderate depressive episode. Furthermore, the revised national guidelines for depressive disorders also explicitly recommend psychotherapy as an alternative or supplement to pharmacotherapy in the elderly. Several forms of psychotherapy are emphasized: cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and in particular problem solving, as this is aform of treatment that can also be carried out by other professional groups, thus alleviating the treatment gap caused by the lack of psychotherapists. In summary, adepressive disorder in old age should not induce therapeutic nihilism: after stepped diagnostic assessments, multimodal therapies are individually adapted to the physical, cognitive and social resources of the patients.

Long-term effects of earthquake experience of young persons on cardiovascular disease risk factors.

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to study the long-term effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors of stress from direct experience of an earthquake as a young person.Material and methodsWe selected workers born between July 1, 1958 and July 1, 1976 who were examined at Kailuan General Hospital between May and October of 2013. Data on cardiovascular events were taken during the workers’ annual health examination conducted between 2006 and 2007. All subjects were divided into three groups according to their experience of the Tangshan earthquake of July 28, 1976, as follows: control group; exposed group 1 and exposed group 2. We compared cardiovascular disease risk factors between the three groups as well as by gender and age.ResultsOne thousand one hundred and ninety-six workers were included in the final statistical analysis. Among all subjects, resting heart rate (p = 0.003), total cholesterol (p < 0.001), and fasting blood glucose (p < 0.001) were significantly higher among those who experienced the earthquake compared with unexposed controls, but were unrelated to loss of relatives. No significant difference in triglyceride levels was observed between the three groups (p = 0.900). Further refinement showed that the effects were restricted to males 40 years of age or older at the time of analysis, but were due primarily to age at the time of earthquake exposure (p = 0.002, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002).ConclusionsEarthquake experience in the early years of life has long-term effects on adult resting heart rate, total cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose, especially among men.

Societal aspects and individual preconditions of technological development

The meaning that technology’s progressive infiltration of the environment has for older adults hardly needs to be emphasized. With the increasing prevalence of health impairments, waning physical power and increasing sensory loss on the one hand, and the loss of close friends and relatives caused by old age on the other, the importance of adequate technological appliances and systems is particularly rising. Until now, however, older persons' access to modern technologies depends strongly on socio-structural conditions like income and education. Among cultural requirements, societal stereotypes and aspects of design and stigmatisation influence the acceptance and use of technical devices and systems. And whether older persons benefit from the options technology offers for main­taining independence and social participation in old age depends largely on their earlier experience with technology and individual aspects of acceptance or rejection. In this article, the socio-structural, cultural, and individual prerequisites for the productive use of technical devices and systems are regarded from a long-term perspective. Furthermore, the ambivalent societal consequences related to technology implementation are discussed.

Type and Intensity of Negative Life Events Are Associated With Depression in Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.

This study investigated the associations between types and intensity of life events and symptoms of depression among adults with intellectual disabilities. A community sample (N = 593) was screened for current depression and exposure to life events (i.e., loss, illness, change, and bullying) during the previous 12 months. Symptoms of depression were measured using the Psychopathology Checklists for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities. Exposure to three of the four types of life events studied (loss, illness, and bullying) and the intensity of the events were associated with depression, particularly in the cases of loss of relatives and bullying. Quality of care moderated the association between bullying and depression and may buffer the adverse consequences of bullying.

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Young Children 2 Years After the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its association with each traumatic experience among 5- to 8-year-old children 2 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Children ages 5-8 years who were in selected preschool classes on March 11, 2011, in 3 prefectures affected by the earthquake and 1 prefecture that was unaffected, participated in the study (N=280). PTSD symptoms were assessed through questionnaires completed by caregivers and interviews by psychiatrists or psychologists conducted between September 2012 and May 2013 (ie, 1.5-2 years after the earthquake). Among children who experienced the earthquake, 33.8% exhibited PTSD symptoms. Of the different traumatic experiences, experiencing the earthquake and the loss of distant relatives or friends were independently associated with PTSD symptoms; prevalence ratios: 6.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.06-23.0) and 2.48 (95% CI: 1.21-5.08), respectively. Approximately 1 in 3 young children in the affected communities exhibited PTSD symptoms, even 2 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. These data may be useful for preventing PTSD symptoms after natural disasters and suggest the importance of providing appropriate mental health services for children. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:207-215).

Investigating interactions between early life stress and two single nucleotide polymorphisms in HSD11B2 on the risk of schizophrenia

To examine the risk of schizophrenia in a Danish population after exposure to early life stress, and whether this risk is modified by DNA sequence variation, specifically two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs5479 and rs56303414) from the gene HSD11B2. This gene encodes the enzyme 11-β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 which converts active cortisol into inactive cortisone. A two-stage analysis involving (1) a population-based cohort study, and (2) a nested case-control study using genotype information. Stage 1 included 1,141,447 people; here, we calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) for the risk of schizophrenia among children of mothers who experienced loss or serious illness of close relatives before, during, and after pregnancy. In stage 2, we genotyped rs5479 and rs56303414 among 1275 schizophrenia cases and 1367 controls, and investigated interactions between genotypes and early life stress on the risk of schizophrenia. In stage 1, no increased risk of schizophrenia was found in offspring after exposure during pregnancy, but offspring exposed to early life stress at age 0-2 years had a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia (adjusted IRR 1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.31). For rs5479, the minor allele was nucleotide A, and the major allele was nucleotide C. No interaction was found between rs5479 and exposure during pregnancy. Individuals with the minor A allele of rs5479, however, had a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia after exposure to early life stress at age 3-9 years (adjusted IRR 2.06, 1.04-4.06). No interaction was found between rs56303414 and exposure in any of the time periods. No association was found between exposure to early life stress during pregnancy and schizophrenia in the offspring investigated, whereas individuals exposed to early life stress within the first two years of life had an increased risk. No interaction was found between HSD11B2 and exposure during pregnancy, but individuals with the A allele of rs5479 had an increased risk of schizophrenia after exposure at age 3-9 years.

Catatonia in Psychotic Depression Associated With Bereavement

To the Editor: In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), catatonia is not recognized as a separate disorder but is associated with many psychiatric and medical conditions.1 Psychiatric causes of catatonia range from 70% to 80%, and organic causes of catatonia range from 20% to 30%.2 Among the psychiatric causes of catatonia, around 30% are related to mood disorders, and approximately 10% to 15% are associated with schizophrenia.2 Catatonia is a rare condition for someone to experience with a major depressive episode with psychotic features. There is only 1 report describing a young woman with this rare phenomenon during the postpartum period.3 Otherwise, catatonia associated with bereavement has rarely been described. There are only 2 reports describing terminal cancer patients who developed brief psychotic disorder with catatonic syndromes after bereavement.4,5 Here, we report the case of a patient who developed an emergent catatonia in a major depressive episode with psychotic features associated with bereavement. The catatonia was improved by injectable diazepam and olanzapine. The psychotic depression was successively treated with mirtazapine and olanzapine. Case report. Ms A is a 42-year-old woman without psychiatric illness history. Her fiance’s sudden death during a gastric operation was a terrible shock to her. After he died, Ms A was sad and anhedonic, with guilty delusion and suicidal ideation. She presented with intense negativism about herself and severe psychomotor retardation. She was unable to carry out daily activities without help at home and was admitted to the hospital. During hospitalization, she was mute, presented extreme loss of motor skill, held rigid poses for hours, and was not responding to any external stimuli. She required intensive nursing care and administration of intravenous fluids for nutrition and carried a urethral catheter for bladder distention. A series of examinations were arranged. The results of blood counts and serum chemistry were within normal limits. Her brain computerized tomography was normal. Drug screening tests were negative for central nervous system suppressants. After full diagnostic workup, Ms A was administered injectable diazepam 20 mg/d combined with olanzapine 10 mg/d. On the 10th day of hospitalization, the catatonia resolved gradually. While recovering from catatonia, Ms A presented with severe depression and guilty delusion (according to DSM-5 criteria). Treatment with tablet mirtazapine 60 mg/d and olanzapine 10 mg/d resulted in gradual improvement of her psychotic depression. According to the DSM-5,1 Ms A experienced a major depressive episode with psychotic features just after her fiance died. A period of catatonia developed insidiously during this psychotic depressive episode. A previous report described catatonia that developed during a major depressive episode with psychotic features in the postpartum period.3 The case of Ms A suggests that patients may develop catatonia in psychotic depression when they experience loss of close relatives. Based on clinical evidence, the 2 main treatment options for catatonic depression are benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy.6 Atypical antipsychotics are also utilized in certain cases, as they are thought to help manage psychotic symptoms or to be an augmentation strategy for depression.6 As in our case, injectable diazepam and olanzapine demonstrate their efficacy in treating this condition. Psychotic depression affects approximately 25% of patients who are admitted to the hospital for depression.7 Usually, combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications are needed to treat this condition.8 In the case of Ms A, mirtazapine combined with olanzapine demonstrated efficacy in treating catatonia. To our knowledge, no hypotheses have been made linking the neurobiology of psychotic depression and that of catatonic syndromes. Our case, as well as the case reported during the postpartum period,3 highlight the need for clinicians to watch for the emergence of catatonia in cases of psychotic depression, especially during the postpartum and bereavement periods.

The challenge of living on: psychopathology and its mediating influence on the readjustment of former child soldiers.

Current civil wars are characterized by the increasing involvement of civilian populations and the systematic employment of child soldiers. An example of such wars was the conflict in Northern Uganda, where the war-affected population is still challenged by the reintegration of formerly abducted children and youths. A cross-sectional, population-based survey, using a multistage cluster sampling approach of 1,113 Northern Ugandans aged between 12 and 25 in camps for internally displaced persons and locally validated instruments was conducted to assess symptoms and diagnoses of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and probable Depression in war-affected, as well as formerly abducted individuals. Further objectives were to determine predictors of psychopathology and to relate indicators of maladjustment (i.e., impairments in daily and community functioning, somatic complaints, suicidality, aggressiveness and discrimination) to abduction, level of exposure to violence and psychopathology. 43% of the sample reported abduction by the rebel army. Exposure to violence among this group was higher than for non-abducted youths (t = 28.05; p<.001). PTSD point prevalence rates were 25% among former child soldiers and 7% among the comparison group. High suicidal ideation was present in 16% and 6% respectively. A higher amount of experienced and witnessed event-types (β = . 32. p<.001), loss of first-degree relatives (β = .13. p<.001) and the number of event-types involving forced perpetration (β = .23. p<.001) were identified as risk factors of PTSD symptoms in former child soldiers. The associations between abductee-status and indicators of maladjustment were fully mediated by level of trauma exposure and psychopathology. Results show that child soldiering and its psychological sequelae affect a substantial proportion of children and youths. After release or flight, their readjustment depends at least partly on their level of mental traumatization.

Organizations Aid Syrian Refugees, But More Help Needed

War and exile have created a staggering need for mental health care for Syrian refugees of all ages.

Attitudes of German undergraduate dental students towards the aged

To describe attitudes towards the aged and changes in attitudes of dental students during their participation in an undergraduate gerodontology programme. Attitudes of dentists have been shown to influence their willingness to provide dental services to the aged. A questionnaire was administered to 160 (50 men) dental students at Leipzig University aged 19.2-30.5 (mean, 21.7; SD, 2.3) years before entering (T1) and when completing (T2) a gerodontology course. A definition of being young and old and of hopes and fears associated with age was requested. The semantic ageing differential (SAD) was used to measure the students' attitudes towards the aged in three categories. Statistical analysis comprised mean age definitions by gender and mean scores of the SAD at T1 and T2. Old age was defined as beginning between 56 and 64 years. Female students at T1 regarded a woman as young up to 35.8 years, for male students a woman was young only up to 33.5 years. Male students consider men as old from 60.1 years and women 4.4 years earlier from 55.7 years. Old age fears related mainly to impairment of health and loss of relatives. Hopes for relaxation, rest and serenity were paramount. The SAD results were near neutral in all three dimensions. Minor changes between T1 and T2 occurred. Students' attitudes were well balanced. Specific barriers to the provision of dental care to the aged emanating from dental students' negative attitudes or fears were not identified. Changes in attitudes occurring during the course appeared small.

Family function among the bereaved in hard-hit areas 1 year after Wenchuan earthquake

To investigate the family function among the bereaved in hard-hit areas 1 year after Wenchuan earthquake and to provide basic information for family reconstruction. A cross-sectional study was used to survey 264 bereaved who were selected according to the criteria in hard-hit areas after Wenchuan earthquake. The scores of family care function of the bereaved in hard-hit areas after Wenchuan earthquake were 6.52±2.65. Fifty percent of the participants' family kept in good state. The scores of the bereaved family cohesion ranged from 28 to 83 (64.22±9.18), and the scores of family adaptability ranged from 21 to 62 (41.84±6.62). There was no significant difference in the score of family cohesion between the bereaved family and the non-bereaved family (P>0.05). But the score of the family adaptability of the bereaved family was significantly lower than that of the non-bereaved family (P<0.05). The bereaved family types were as follows: 22.0% balanced type, 53.8% middle type and 24.2% extreme type. In the 16 family types, the "intimate-rigid" (24.6%), "intimate-regular" (19.7%) and "disengaged-rigid" (19.3%) type ranked the top three. The family care function of the bereaved in hard-hit areas after Wenchuan earthquake is damaged to different degrees. The main type of family is the middle type. The loss of relatives reduces the participant family adaptability. In the late intervention, we should help the bereaved improve and enhance family function, and promote family reconstruction of the bereaved.