Who Tells the Family? Death Notification Practices in War Zones: A Study of Ukraine

Abstract

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.