Table 1

Hypothesis

H1H1.1. The opportunity for family members to authorise donation *group 1, G1 and group 2, G2, relative to the control group, G3) reduces their psychological distress (measured in terms of anxiety, depression, impact of stressful event, manifestations of complicated grief) in the medium and long term (3 and 9 months, respectively) and increases psychological well-being (measured in terms of resilience and personal growth in the long term—9 months), favouring a more adaptive grief processing.
H1.2. Authorisation for donation by relatives *group 1, G1, relative to refusal, group 2, G2) reduces psychological distress (measured in terms of anxiety, depression, impact of stressful event, manifestations of complicated grief) in the medium and long term (3 and 9 months, respectively) and increases psychological well-being (measured in terms of resilience and personal growth in the long term—9 months). It is related to lower symptomatology of complicated grief.
H2H2.1. Relatives who authorise organ recovery *group 1, G1) perceive communication with professionals to be of higher quality than those who reject organ recovery (group 2, G2) and than those whose deceased relatives is not considered potential donor (control group, G3).
H2.2. Perceived higher quality of communication with professionals is correlated with lower symptomatology of complicated grief.
H3H3.1. A greater understanding of the diagnosis of death is associated with less complicated grief symptomatology.H3.1.1. The diagnosis of death by circulatory criteria is better understood than the diagnosis of death by neurological criteria.
H4The cause of death of the deceased is related to the quality of grief. In other words, rapid, traumatic deaths and deaths following long and uncontrolled illness processes are associated with more complicated grief symptoms.
H5The kinship relationship is related to the quality of grief. Deaths of immediate descendants are associated with greater symptomatology of complicated grief than deaths of immediate ancestors.
H6The age of the deceased is related to the ease/difficulty of grief processing. In other words, the deaths of young people are related to a greater symptomatology of complicated grief.

  • *See Box 1 for details of group composition.