What is traumatic grief?
“When traumatic circumstances surround the sudden death of a loved one, or when the bereaved was also involved as a victim in the event or witnessed the death, the bereaved must cope with both trauma and grief.” Mental Health Response to Mass Violence and Terrorism, page 18, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2004 Introduction Because death on the road is so common, and treated by the media as an everyday event, it can be forgotten that people bereaved by road crashes are as traumatically bereaved as people bereaved by terrorist bombs or by homicide. Their emotional needs are just as severe. While it is not the job of a police officer to provide counselling, or even to identify that someone needs therapy of any kind, it is vital that police officers working with families bereaved by road crashes have a good understanding of traumatic grief: this understanding is of enormous benefit to professional communication and relationship-building with these families within the remit of
