To view or not to view-that is the choice.

As with any loss, allowing individuals a choice regarding viewing the body of their loved one is the most helpful route.  Researchers Alison Chapple and Sue Ziebland, recently reported in the British Journal of Medicine results of their study of families who had a member die in traumatic or violent ways. Generally, even for those who felt some distress or had mixed feelings about seeing their loved one's body, they believed the decison to see or not to see it had been the right decision for them.  The study drives home the importance of not making assumptions about what individual members of a family would like to do under these circumstances.