Bereavement following a drug-related death in Mexico and India

There is developing research clarifying the experiences of family members dealing with a close relative’s drug-related death (DRD). The vast bulk of this research is undertaken in high-income countries, with very little attention being given to the extent that these experiences are different in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This chapter will examine the nature of family members’ experiences of DRDs in two very different LMICS – Mexico and India; in each case, it will briefly describe the culture and the influence of religion in that country and then look at the links between general culture, religiosity, and drug culture before examining both DRDs and the limited research into bereavement following such deaths. It will briefly examine how these cultural factors might alter the experiences of family members bereaved through an illicit DRD. Issues examined will include stigmatization and responses to bereavement from other family members, from the community and from professionals. These experiences and responses will be examined against those reported in the literature stemming from high-income countries and implications in terms of policy, research, and treatment recommendations to plug existing gaps will be drawn.