The social health domain of people bereaved by a drug-related death and associations with professional help: A cross-sectional study

Figures & data

Table 1. Sample characteristics (N = 255) presented with (min–max), mean (SD) or n (%).

Variable (min–max)	Mean (SD)	n (%)
Sociodemographic characteristics
Age of bereaved at the time of survey (18–80)	48 (14)
Age of bereaved at the time of loss (5–76)	40 (15)
Female sex		208 (82)
Educational status
College/university		125 (49)
Senior high school		97 (38)
Primary school		32 (13)
Employment
Working (full- or part-time)		155 (61)
Retired		29 (11)
Student		14 (5.5)
Other		58 (23)
Household income (USD)
≤50,000		85 (34)
50,000–100,000		121 (48)
≥100,000		45 (18)
Relational characteristics
Years since a family member’s or friend’s death (0–35)	8.1 (7.4)
Relation to deceased
Parent		95 (37)
Sibling		79 (31)
Child		25 (9.8)
Other kin		28 (11)
Close non-kin relation: partner (n = 13) or friend (n = 15)		28 (11)
Perceived closeness to deceased. Close/very close		222 (88)
Experienced devaluating comments of deceased post-loss		90 (35)
Characteristics of deceased
Deceased age in years at the time of death (15–68)	31 (9.9)
Deceased years of drug use before death (0–42)	13 (8.6)

Table 2. Frequency analyses, whole sample and different relations to deceased.

Measure	Tot. sample (n = 249)	Parent (n = 92)	Sibling (n = 79)	Child (n = 24)	Ext. fam (n = 27)	Part/friend (n = 27)
	M (SD) range	M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)
RAND-12 MCS	40.2 (12.9) 12–65	39.3 (12.9)	42.4 (12.5)	38 (12.1)	43.1 (13)	35.6 (13.3)
CSS (six items)	28 (6.9) 7–42	28.9 (6.8)	28 (6.5)	25 (8.5)	29.6 (7.2)	25.9 (5.9)
WSAS	12.7 (10.9) 0–40	14.4 (10.3)	10.8 (10.7)	12.8 (11.1)	10 (10.2)	15.1 (12.6)
Own withdrawal	2.9 (1.2) 1–5	2.8 (1.1)	3 (1.2)	3.4 (0.8)	2.3 (1.1)	3 (1)
Others’ withdrawal	2.4 (1) 1–5	2.4 (1.1)	2.3 (1)	2.5 (0.7)	2.3 (1.1)	2.2 (1)

Table 3. Correlation matrix, social health dimensions and time since death.

	I withdraw	Others withdraw	RAND-12 MCS	CSS pos	WSAS full	WSAS sub	Time^b
I withdraw^a	1
Others withdr.^a	.334**	1
RAND-12 MCS	–.447**	–.239**	1
CSS pos	–.267**	–.244**	.323**	1
WSAS full	.501**	.298**	–.722**	–.219**	1
WSAS sub	.533**	.260**	–.657**	–.219**	.918**	1
Time^b	.014	.042	.205**	.046	–.098	–.047	1

*p < .05; **p < .001 (two-tailed). ^aCoefficients on “I have withdrawn” and “Others have withdrawn” calculated as Spearman′s rho. ^bTime = Time since death.