Factors That Compound Grief

1. No body recovered
2. No positive confirmation of death (missing child)
3. If the body is available, but the family is not allowed to view it, it makes it difficult for the family to grasp the reality that the death has even occurred - it is only when reality is grasped that people can begin to move from the initial trauma of notification to the full realization of the pain of grief.
4. Since the death was sudden and unanticipated, legal and financial affairs may be complicated. Loss of income can threaten the family's security.