The evaluation of the damage to the health resulting from mourning in minors and adults: matters of method

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Author/s Ignazio Grattagliano, Andrea Lisi, Miriana Biancofiore, Rosa Scardigno, Giuseppe Mininni
Publishing Year 2019 Issue 2019/1
Language Italian Pages 18 P. 25-42 File size 268 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2019-001002
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

In the complex area of the assessment of the damage to the person to the expert psy-chologist, psychiatrist and coroner, it may have requested an assessment of the damage from mourning occurred in reference to the relatives of a victim of an ominous event. The loss of a loved person is, in fact, an event with high psycho-physical potential; it is not rare, therefore, that the process of mourning becomes particularly complex, with the risks that from "normal" becomes "pathological", with relevant consequences in terms of quality of life. The sentence n. 372/94 Constitutional Court, for the first time, recognizes the indemnity of the mourning grievance in its own right, subject to specialist medical examination. In this context the contribution of the forensic psychologist is valuable, who, as a consultant, psychodiagnost, auxiliary consultant, covert, can contribute to illustrate the variegated world of the alterations of the psychic sphere and then help to establish the appropriate placement in the context of psychic damage. The present paper investigates the complexity aspects inherent in the evaluation process of this particular profile of psychic damage and, examining the contributions of some authoritative experts in the field, tries to outline a possible methodology of investigation for psychologists and forensic psychiatrists, which establishes the as-sumptions of a correct approach to the problem.

Keywords: Damage from mourning, psychic damage, medico-legal evaluation, minors, fo-rensic psychodiagnostics.

  1. Cerisoli M. e Vasapollo D. (2008). La valutazione medico-legale del danno biologico di natura psichica [The medico-legal evaluation of biological psychic damage]. Roma: SEU.
  2. Affatati V., Grattagliano I., Todarello O. and Catanesi R. (2012). Utilizing the Rorschach Test in the diagnosis of gender identity disorder and in the evaluation of eligibility for sex reassignment surgery. Rivista di Psichiatria, 47 (4): 337-344. DOI: 10.1708/1139.1256
  3. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition, DSM-5. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. (trad. it.: Manuale diagnostico e statistico dei disturbi mentali, quinta edizione, DSM-5. Milano: Raffaello Cortina, 2014).
  4. Bandini T. e Zacheo A. (2007). La prospettiva medico legale nell’analisi del disturbo da lutto complicato: Considerazioni su 58 casi peritali [The medical-legal perspective in the analysis of the complicated grief disorder: Considerations on 58 expert cases]. Rassegna Italiana di Criminologia, 1: 133-158.
  5. Bordon R. e Palisi M. (2002). Il danno da morte [The damage from death]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  6. Bowlby J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Separation: Anxiety and anger. London: Hogarth Press. (trad. it.: Attaccamento e perdita: Vol. 3. La perdita della madre. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri, 1983).
  7. Bowman M.L. (1999). Individual differences in posttraumatic distress: Problems with DSM-IV model. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 44 (1): 21-33. DOI: 10.1177/07067437990440010
  8. Brondolo W. e Marigliano A. (1996). Danno psichico [Psychic damage]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  9. Bruno F. (2006). Indagini cliniche in psichiatria forense [Clinical investigations in forensic psychiatry]. In Volterra V. (a cura di), Trattato Italiano di Psichiatria, III° ed. Psichiatria forense, criminologia ed etica psichiatrica [Italian Treatise of Psychiatry, III ed. Forensic psychiatry, criminology and psychiatric ethics]. Milano: Masson, pp. 98-114.
  10. Buzzi F. e Vanini M. (2006). Guida alla valutazione psichiatrica e medicolegale del danno biologico di natura psichica: Con trattazione monotematica di reazioni psico-patologiche a menomazioni somatiche e c.d. suicidio post-traumatico, reazioni psico-patologiche a lutto e orfanezza, reazioni psico-patologiche a mobbing e a burn-out [Guide to the psychiatric and medico-legal evaluation of biological psychic damage: With monothematic treatment of psycho-pathological reactions to somatic impairments and so-called post-traumatic suicide, psycho-pathological reactions to mourning and parents loss, psycho-pathological reactions to mobbing and burnout]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  11. Camerini G.B. (2011). La valutazione del danno psichico nell’infanzia e nell’adolescenza: Danno, pregiudizio e disabilità: aspetti clinici, medico-legali e giuridici [Evaluation of psychic damage in childhood and adolescence: damage, injury and disability: clinical, medico-legal and juridical aspects]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  12. Capri P. (2005). La valutazione del danno psichico. Questioni metodologiche e riflessioni psicologiche [Evaluation of psychic damage. Methodological questions and psychological reflections]. AIPGNewsletter, 22, luglio-settembre: 3-5.
  13. Carmassi C., Conversano C., Pinori M., Bertelloni C.A., Dalle Luche R., Gesi C. and Dell’Osso L. (2016). The complicated grief in the era of the DSM-5. Rivista di Psichiatria, 51 (6): 231-237. DOI: 10.1708/2596.2672
  14. Carta I., Galvano G. e Potenzio F. (1996). La personalità [The personality]. In Brondolo W. e Marigliano A. (a cura di), Danno psichico [Psychic damage]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  15. Catanesi R. e Martino V. (2006). Verso una psichiatria forense basata su evidenze [Towards an evidence-based forensic psychiatry.]. Rivista Italiana di Medicina Legale, 6: 1011-1065.
  16. Corte F. e Buzzi F. (2000). Il danno biologico da lutto: metodologia psico-diagnostica medico-legale [The biological damage from mourning: medico-legal psychodiagnostic methodology]. Rivista Italiana di Medicina Legale, 22: 37-67.
  17. De Fazio F. (1997). Danno da “morte” di un congiunto o, meglio, danno da “lutto”? [Damage from “death” of a kinsman or, better, damage from “mourning”?]. Rivista Italiana di Medicina Legale, XIX: 1151-1160.
  18. De Fidio D. e Grattagliano I. (2007). Correlazione tra il MMPI-2 e il Rorschach: un’analisi possibile? [Correlation between the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach: a possible analysis?]. Giornale Italiano di Psicopatologia, 13: 162-170.
  19. Dominici R. (2006). Il danno psichico ed esistenziale [The psychic and existential damage]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  20. Giannini G. (1995). Riflessioni sul danno da menomazione psichica [Reflections on the damage from psychic impairment]. In Brondolo W., Farneti A., Giannini G., Loi U., Mangili F., Marigliano A. et al. (a cura di), Il danno biologico, patrimoniale, morale [The biological, patrimonial and moral damage]. Milano: Giuffrè.
  21. Holmes T.H. and Rahe R.H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11 (2): 213-218. DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(67)90010-
  22. Horowitz M.J., Siegel B., Holen A., Bonanno G.A., Milbrath C. and Stinson C.H. (1997). Diagnostic criteria for complicated grief disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154 (7): 904-910.
  23. Kübler-Ross E. (1969). On death and dying. New York: Routledge (trad. it.: La morte e il morire. Assisi: Cittadella 1976).
  24. Lieberman A.F., Compton N.C., Van Horn P. and Ghosh Ippen C. (2003). Losing a parent to death in early years: Guideline for treating traumatic bereavement in infant and early childhood. Washington, DC: Zero to Three (trad. it.: Il lutto infantile: la perdita di un genitore nei primi anni di vita. Bologna: Il Mulino, 2007).
  25. Lisi A., Stallone V., Tomasino M.G., Affatati V., Zelano C. e Grattagliano I. (2012). Utilità e limiti del Disegno della Figura Umana nella valutazione dei casi di abuso in ambito peritale [Utilities and limits of the Human Figure Drawing in the evaluation of cases of abuse in the expert field]. Psicologia Clinica Dello Sviluppo, 2: 421-440. DOI: 10.1449/3783
  26. Lisi A., Stallone V., Tomasino M.G., Affatati V., Dimastromatteo C. e Grattagliano I. (2013). Utilità e limiti del Disegno della Famiglia nella valutazione dei casi di child sexual abuse, in ambito peritale; uno studio casistico [Utilities and limits of Family Design in the evaluation of cases of child sexual abuse, in the expert field; a case study]. Maltrattamento e Abuso all’Infanzia, 1: 81-96.
  27. Macias C., Jones D., Harvey J., Barreira P., Harding C. and Rodican C. (2004). Bereavement in the context of serious mental illness. Psychiatric Service, 55 (4): 421-426.
  28. Maciejewski P.K., Zhang B., Block S.D. and Prigerson H.G. (2007). An empirical examination of the stage theory of grief. JAMA, 297 (7): 716-723.
  29. Manuti A., Scardigno R. and Mininni G. (2016). Me, myself and God: Religion as a psycho-cultural resource of meaning in later life. Culture & Psychology, 22 (1): 3-34. DOI: 10.1177/1354067X1455129
  30. Martino V., Grattagliano I., Bosco A., Massaro Y., Lisi A., Campobasso F., Marchitelli M.L. and Catanesi R. (2015). A new index for the MMPI 2 Test for detecting dissimulation in forensic evaluations: A pilot study. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 61 (1): 249-253. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.1288
  31. Mininni G., Manuti A., Scardigno R. and Rubino R. (2014). Old roots, new branches: The shoot of diatextual analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11 (4): 1-16. DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2014.92599
  32. Montrone A., Martino V., Grattagliano I., Massaro Y., Campobasso F., Lisi A., Di Conza A. e Catanesi R. (2016). Use of Test Sims in Psychological Assessment of Distorting Behavior: Simulation. A Pilot Study. Rassegna Italiana di Criminologia, 2: 139-145.
  33. Nussbaum A.M. (2013). The Pocket Guide to the DSM-5 Diagnostic Exam. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing (trad. it.: L’esame diagnostico con il DSM-5. Milano: Raffaello Cortina, 2014).
  34. Parkes C.M. (1986). Bereavement: Studies of grief in adult life. London: Tavistock.
  35. Prigerson H., Maciejewski P., Reynolds C.F., Bierhals A.J., Newsom J.T., Fasiczka A. et al. (1995). Inventory of complicated grief: A scale to measure maladaptive symptoms of loss. Psychiatry Research, 59 (1): 65-79. DOI: 10.1016/0165-1781(95)02757-
  36. Prigerson H., Bierhals A., Karl S.V., Reynolds C.F., Shear M.K., Day N. et al. (1997). Traumatic grief as a risk factor for physical and mental morbidity. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154 (5): 616-623.
  37. Raphael B. and Middleton W. (1990). What is pathologic grief? Psychiatric Annals, 20 (6): 304-307. DOI: 10.3928/0048-5713-19900601-0
  38. Raphael B. and Martinek N. (1997). Assessing traumatic bereavement and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In: Wilson J.P and Keane T.M. (eds.), Assessing Psychological Trauma and PTSD. New York: Guilford, pp. 373-395.
  39. Rocca G., Ciliberti R., Alfano L. e Bandini T. (2013). Prospettive applicative e contributo casistico in materia di valutazione medicolegale del disturbo da lutto prolungato [Application perspectives and casuistic contribution to the medical-legal evaluation of prolonged bereavement disorder]. Rivista Italiana di Medicina Legale, 1: 113-131.
  40. Rynearson E.K. (2006). Violent death. Resilience and intervention beyond the crisis. New York, NY: Routledge.
  41. Sanavio E. e Sica C. (1999). I test di personalità. Inventari e questionari [Personality tests. Inventories and questionnaires]. Bologna: Il Mulino.
  42. Scardigno R., Curci A. e Mininni G. (2017). Retoriche della credibilità nei testi di denuncia di reato. Un approccio psico-culturale [Rhetorics of the credibility in the crime reports. A psycho-cultural approach]. Rassegna Italiana di Criminologia, XI (2): 134-147.
  43. Shear K., Frank E., Houck P.R. and Reynolds C.F. (2005). Treatment of complicated grief. JAMA, 293 (21): 2601-2608.
  44. Shear M.K. (2012). Getting straight about grief. Depression and Anxiety, 29 (6): 461-464.
  45. Shear M.K., Ghesquiere A. and Glickman K. (2013). Bereavement and complicated grief. Current Psychiatry Reports, 15 (11): 406.
  46. Stroebe M.S., Hansson R.O., Stroebe W. and Schut H. (2001). Handbook of bereavement research: consequences, coping and care. Washington, DC: Hardcover.
  47. Testoni I. (2016). Psicologia del lutto e del morire: Dal lavoro clinic alla death education [The psychology of death and mourning: From clinical work to death education]. Psicoterapia e Scienze Umane, 50 (2): 229-252. DOI: 10.3280/PU2016-00200
  48. Thiene A. (2016). Dei fatti illeciti [About illicit facts]. In Cian G. e Trabucchi A. (a cura di), Commentario breve al codice civile [Short commentary on the civil code]. Padova: CEDAM, pp. 2250-2263.

  • How Much Is an Abortion Worth? Was a Human “Not Formed”? An Italian Proposal Maricla Marrone, Benedetta Pia De Luca, Fortunato Pititto, Ignazio Grattagliano, Nicola Laforgia, Antonella Vimercati, Alessandro Dell’Erba, in Healthcare /2023 pp.1948
    DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11131948

Ignazio Grattagliano, Andrea Lisi, Miriana Biancofiore, Rosa Scardigno, Giuseppe Mininni, La valutazione del danno alla salute derivante dal lutto nei minori e negli adulti: Questioni di Metodo in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 1/2019, pp 25-42, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2019-001002