Bereavement after homicide: a descriptive study.

The act of homicide specifically influences the clinical presentation of subsequent bereavement. Retrospective reports of 15 individuals who lost a relative through homicide revealed cognitive, behavioral, and affective reactions associated with the homicide. Several of these reactions match those described in the DSM-III diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic or delayed type. The identification of bereaved individuals with the homicide and the therapeutic implications of bereavement after homicide are discussed.