Repercussions of Intimate Partner Femicide on Family Members: A Study Based on the Psychodynamics of Grief
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Femicide has consequences that extend beyond the victim, deeply affecting their family members. However, the grief resulting from this crime remains underexplored. This study seeks to understand the repercussions of intimate partner femicide on the victims’ families from the perspective of the psychodynamics of grief. A qualitative study, carried out through semi-structured interviews with seven family members of victims of intimate partner femicides that occurred between 2018 and 2020 in Manaus-Brazil, registered by the Forensic Medical Institute. The data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s Reflexive Thematic Analysis, and interpreted through with psychodynamic grief and loss theories from Kübler-Ross, Freud, Bowlby, Parkes and Worden. The five identified themes address profound psychological suffering, including depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic symptoms. Grief was exacerbated by guilt, a profound and gendered distrust in future intimate relationships, and hypervigilance over surviving family members. The loss disrupted intergenerational ties, forcing relatives to take on caregiving roles for orphaned children. Institutional neglect worsened the suffering, with limited access to mental health support and judicial revictimization. Coping strategies ranged from adaptive practices (spirituality, social engagement) to maladaptive coping strategies (smoking and alcohol use). Intersectional vulnerabilities—linked to race, class, and gender—intensified systemic neglect. Femicide imposes a complex and prolonged grief that challenges linear models, highlighting the profound impact of this type of loss. The findings emphasize the need for trauma-informed mental health interventions, legal reforms to amplify the voices of bereaved families, and intersectional approaches to address structural inequalities.
Source: Journal of Family Violence
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,090
OpenAlex ID: W4417222249