Complications in bereavement following motor vehicle crash fatalities in a sample of young adults.

Although young adults are the population at highest risk for fatal crashes, this population has not been a focus within the current literature examining motor vehicle crash (MVC) bereavement. The present study explored the prevalence of MVC bereavement in a sample of 1,189 undergraduate students. The demographic and psychological outcome data of individuals who identified MVC bereavement as their worst or only type of loss experienced (n = 70) were examined. The study also examined the predictive nature of various demographic variables, loss-related variables, and reported peritraumatic responses of these individuals in relation to mental health outcomes. Overall prevalence and correlates of mental health problems are also explored. Results revealed rates of mental health outcomes and comorbidities comparable with rates seen in other trauma-exposed student samples. However, compared with other samples of violent loss survivors, posttraumatic stress disorder rates in the MVC bereaved sample were higher than rates of other mental health complications. Lifetime number of types of death experienced, time since loss, and emotional peritraumatic responses were all associated with bereavement-related outcomes. These findings demonstrate the significant impact of MVC loss in the young adult population and underscore the need for future work in this area.