Loss, Grief, and Bereavement (cont.)
Where can people get help?
American Society of Suicidology
(202) 237-2280
Cancer Care, Inc.
275 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10001
(800) 813-HOPE (4673)
http://www.cancercare.org
Center for Suicide Prevention
321202 Centre Street, S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2G5A5
(403) 245-3900
http://www.suicideinfo.ca
Compassionate Friends (help following a suicide)
(877) 969-0019
Hospice Foundation of America
(800) 854-3402
http://www.hospicefoundation.org
Hospice Education Institute
(800) 331-1620
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(800) 438-MADD [6233]
National Cancer Institute
National Organization for Victim Assistance
(800) 879-6682
National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resource Center
(866) 866-7437
Parents of Murdered Children
(888) 818-POMC
Pet Loss
(888) 332-7738
SHARE Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc.
(800) 821-6819
Society of Military Widows
(800) 842-3451
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance
(800) 221-7437
The future
As researchers continue to examine the management of grief, the level of
clarity about what is helpful and not helpful in helping the bereaved needs to
be improved. Although hospital personnel have tended over the past decades to
address the medical, legal, and emotional issues associated with the loss of a
loved one, health-care providers who work in clinics and private offices would
serve their patients better if those issues were addressed long before a crisis
of health or loss takes place.
- Grief is quite common and is the normal, internal feeling one experiences
in reaction to a loss, while bereavement is the state of having experienced that
loss.
- Complicated grief is a reaction to loss that lasts more than one year
and the grief reaction affecting all of the sufferer's close relationships,
disrupting his or her beliefs, and resulting in the bereaved experiencing an
ongoing longing for their deceased loved one.
- Mourning is the outward
expression of the loss of a loved one and usually involves culturally determined
rituals that help make sense of the end of their loved one's life and gives
structure to what can feel like a very confusing time. It is influenced by
personal, familial, cultural, and societal beliefs and customs.
- The potential
negative effects of a grief reaction can be significant and are often aggravated
by grief triggers, events that remind the bereaved individual of their loved one
or the circumstances surrounding their loss.
- The risk factors for experiencing
more serious symptoms of grief for a longer period of time are related to the
survivor's own physical and emotional health before the loss, the relationship
between the bereaved and their family member or other loved one, as well as
related to the nature of the death.
- Bereaved individuals who feel the death of
their loved one is unexpected or violent may be at greater risk for suffering
from major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or complicated
grief.
- The seven emotional stages of grief are shock or disbelief, denial,
bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance/hope.
- Symptoms of grief
can be emotional, physical, social, or religious in nature.
- For children and
adolescents, their reactions to the death of a loved one usually reflect the
particular developmental stage of the child or adolescent.
- To assess grief, a
health caregiver usually asks questions to assess what symptoms the individual
is suffering from, then considers whether he or she is suffering from normal
grief, complicated grief, or some other issue.
- Coping tips for grieving
include the bereaved individual's caring for his or herself through continuing
nutritious and regular eating habits, getting extra rest, and communicating with
surviving loved ones.
- Bereavement sometimes ultimately leads to enhanced
personal development.
- Consulting with an attorney or other legal expert is
advisable when either planning for or managing the legal matters associated
with a death.
- Some of the major legal issues involved with dying include the
person's right to have informed consent to receive or refuse treatment, advanced
directives, establishing a living will, and making funeral arrangements.
References:
Adams, K. Managing grief through journal writing. Center for Journal Therapy.
2006.
Barry, L. C., Kasl, S. V., Prigerson, H. G. The role of perceived circumstances of death
and preparedness for death. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 10:
447-457, August 2002.
Center for Suicide Prevention. Grief after suicide: notes from the literature
on qualitative differences and stigma. SIEC Alert #46, November 2001.
Forte, A. L., Hill, M., Pazder, R., Feudtner, C. Bereavement care interventions: a
systematic review. Biomedical Central Limited Palliative Care, 3: 3, July 26,
2004.
Horowitz, M. J., Siegel, B., Holen, A., Bonanno, G. A., Milgrath ,C., Stinson, C. H.
Diagnostic criteria for complicated grief disorder. Focus 1:290-298, 2003.
Kersting, K. A new approach to complicated grief. American Psychological
Association Online. Vol 35 (10) page 51. November 2004.
Koop, P. M., Strang, V. R. The bereavement experience following home-based family
caregiving for persons with advanced cancer. Clinical Nursing Research 12(2),
127-144, 2003.
Kramlinger, M. If you are over 65 and a widow. Helpful tips for the newly
bereaved. One widow's perspective. Bereavement Poems and Articles, 2007.
Larson, D. G., Hoyt, W. T. What has become of grief counseling? An evaluation of the
empirical foundations of the new pessimism. Professional Psychology: Research
and Practice 38(4): 347-355, 2007.
Li, J., Laursen, T. M., Precht, D. H., Olsen, J., Mortensen, P. T. Hospitalization for
mental illness among parents after the death of a child. New England Journal of
Medicine 352: 1190-1196, March 2005.
Lowenstein, T. Life stress Test. Conscious Living Foundation, 1997.
Medicine.net. Hospice care. 2007.
Melhem, N. M., Day, N., Shear, K., Day, R., Reynolds, C. F., Brent, D. Traumatic grief among
adolescents exposed to a peer's suicide. American Journal of Psychiatry 161:
1411-1416, August 2004.
National Cancer Institute. Advanced directives. U.S. National Institutes of
Health: 2000.
Neimeyer, R. A., Prigerson, H. G., Davies, B. Mourning and meaning. American
Behavioral Scientist 46(2): 235-251, 2002.
People Living with Cancer. Understanding grief in a cultural context. 2005.
Pfeffer, C. R. Death. Psychiatric Times 17 (9), September 2000.
Piper, W. E., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Azim, H. F., Weideman, R. Prevalence of loss and
complicated grief among psychiatric outpatients. Psychiatric Services 52:
1069-1074, August 2001.
Rask, K., Kaunonen, M., Paunonen-Ilmonen, M. Adolescent coping with grief after
the death of a loved one. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 8(3):
137-142, June 2002.
Reyes-Ortiz, C. A., Moreno-Macias, C. H., Ceballos-Osorio, J. Myocardial infarction
triggered by bereavement in older women. Annals of Long-Term Care 9(7), July
2001.
SadlyMissed.com. The seven stages of grief. 2006.
Stroebe, M., Henk, Schut. The dual process model of coping with bereavement:
rationale and description. Death Studies. 23(3): 197-224, March 1999.
Tilden, V. P., Tolle, S. W., Nelson, C. A., Fields, J. Family decision-making to withdraw
life-sustaining treatments from hospitalized patients. Nursing Research 50(2):
105-115, March/April 2001.
University of Virginia Health System. National bereavement resources. 2007.
Wikipedia. August 2007.
Wyant, L. Euthanasia: what to expect when your pet's time has come.
Vetcentric.com 11/27/2000.
Last Editorial Review: 9/13/2007
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