Who Tells the Family? Death Notification Practices in War Zones

A Study of Ukraine

Bibliographic Data

ID13627914
AuthorsPetro Katerynych (0000-0002-5967-2368, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages302228261423049-302228261423049
Publication date2026-01-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00302228261423049
PMID41616481
OpenAlexW7126204129
LanguageEN
References cited21

Death notification (DN) in active conflict is constrained by safety, distance, and uncertain identification; however, it can shape early grief and trust. This qualitative study examines wartime DN in Ukraine (2022-2025) through 20 interviews with territorial recruitment officers, frontline medics, military chaplains, and next-of-kin, triangulated with documentary and linguistic analysis. Participants described a conflict-conditioned decision grammar for mode selection (in-person, telephone, secure messenger), recurring ethical trade-offs (timeliness vs. verification; clarity vs. euphemism), and the stabilizing value of plain language, held pauses, and immediate handover to ritual and practical support. Training and debriefing were scarce; the participants repeatedly requested lightweight adaptations of SPIKES/CONNECT and a one-page checklist. Rather than proposing an entirely new framework, we identify conflict-specific adaptations to established DN protocols, focusing on three elements that appear particularly salient under wartime constraints: clear disclosure, empathic containment, and guaranteed follow-up - to reduce preventable harm under constrained resources

CLARITY · Debriefing · Harm · Narrative · Negotiation · Qualitative research · Selection (genetic algorithm · Value (mathematics · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Migration, Health and Trauma

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