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Table 1 Study characteristics

From: A systematic review of studies describing the influence of informal social support on psychological wellbeing in people bereaved by sudden or violent causes of death

Author, year, country

Study design

Sample source

Sample demographics

Mode of bereavement

Time since bereavement

Social support measures

Measured outcomes

Bailey, 2013, Canada [29]

Cross-sectional

Community organisation

n=48

mean age=51.5

100% female

Child lost to gun violence

0.5-12 years

Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) [30]

Resilience

Bottomley, 2017, U.S.A. [31]

Longitudinal (6 month follow-up)

Support organisation

n=47

mean age=49.7

89.4% female

Family member lost to homicide

Mean length= 1.66 years at T1, 2.16 at T2

Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule (ASSIS) [32]

PTSD, complicated grief, depression, anxiety

Burke, 2010, U.S.A. [33]

Cross-sectional

Support organisation

n=54

mean age=48.6

88.9% female

Family member lost to homicide

Mean length= 1.75 years

ASSIS, Inventory of Social Support (ISS) [34] & MSPSS

PTSD, complicated grief, depression

Cowan, 1985, U.S.A.a [27]

Cross-sectional

Death certificates/ court records

n=119 (50 control)

mean age=unclear

70% female

Friends and family lost in natural disaster

Mean length= .92 years

Coppel Index of Social Support (CISS) [35]

Depression

Murphy, 1988, U.S.A.a [28]

Cross-sectional

Death certificates/ court records

Official population records

n= 49 (bereaved) /36 (control)

mean age= 30/37

74%/65% female

Friends and family lost in natural disaster

Mean length= 3 years (estimate)

CISS

Mental distress, recovery

Fullerton, 1999, U.S.A. [36]

Cross-sectional

Air force squadron

n=71

mean age=33

4.0% female

Squadron members of personnel lost in plane crash

Mean length= 0.17 years

Perceived Social Support Scales (Family and Friends) [37]

Depression, initial impact of event

Heeke, 2017, Colombia [38]

Cross-sectional

Humanitarian organisation

n=308

mean age=48.5

61.7% female

Significant other lost in armed conflict

Mean length= 12.4 years

DUKE-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire [39]

PTSD, Prolonged grief, emotional distress

Kristensen, 2010, Norway [40]

Cross-sectional

Official population records (police deceased list and population register)

n=130

mean age=45.7

51.5% female

Family member lost in natural disaster

Mean length= 2.2 years

Crisis Support Scale (CSS) [41]

Complicated grief

Levi-Belz, 2015, Israel [42]

Cross-sectional

Support organisation/online support forum

n=135

mean age=40.3

77.0% female

Family member lost to suicide

Mean length = 3.5 years

MSPSS

Stress-related growth

Levi-Belz, 2019, Israel [43]

Cross-sectional

Support organisation/online support forum/online advertising

n=156

mean age=40.7

81.4% female

Family member or friend lost to suicide

Mean length = 10 years

MSPSS

Complicated grief

Li, 2015, China [44]

Cross-sectional

Official population records

n=803

mean age=46.7

63% female

Family lost to natural disaster

Mean length = 1.0 years

MSPSS

Complicated grief

Oexle, 2019, U.S.A [45]

Cross-sectional

Support organisation/online advertising

n=195

mean age=50

92% female

Immediate family lost to suicide

Mean length = 8.9 years

Perceived Social Support Questionnaire

(PSSQ) [46]

Depression, personal growth, grief difficulties, suicidal ideation

Rheingold, 2015, U.S.A. [47]

Cross-sectional

Official population records

n=47

mean age=78.7

78.7% female

Immediate family lost to homicide

Mean length = 2.1 years

ISS

PTSD, complicated grief, depression

Spino, 2016, U.S.A. [48]

Cross-sectional

Social support group/online advertising

n=44

mean age=44

75% female

Adults bereaved by suicide

Length of loss unclear

Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ) [49]

Depression, loneliness

Sprang, 1998, U.S.A. [50]

Cross-sectional

Support organisation

n=171

mean age=34

54.4% female

Immediate family killed by drunk driver

Mean length = 2.3 years

Provisions of Social Relations Scale (PSRS) [51]

PTSD, grief, mourning

Xu, 2017, China [52]

Cross-sectional

Official population records

n=176

mean age=54.7

52.3% female

Child lost to natural disaster 6.0-6.3 years

Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) [53]

PTSD

  1. aMurphy [28] is a follow-up of Cowan [27], but measured different outcomes so is not comparable