A Reflection On The Term Bereavement

The Two-Track Model of Bereavement is a model that states loss is conceptualized along two axes. Track I pertains to the biopsychosocial functioning in the event of a loss and Track II pertains to the bereaved’s continued emotional attachment and relationship to whoever is deceased. The effect of Track I is seen through the bereaved’s functioning, including their anxiety, their self-esteem and self-worth, and their depressive affect and cognitions. Noting the ability of one to invest in life tasks after experiencing a loss indicates how they are responding to the loss of the deceased. This Track is seen as an expression similar to one of trauma, or crisis. Track II holds that the bereaved has difficulty physically separating from the deceased. This can be seen in emotional, interpersonal, or cognitive ways. It is shown through imagery and memories that the bereaved experiences surrounding the deceased, whether positive or negative, as well as the emotional distance from them. These pictures in the bereaved’s head explain both the cognitive and emotional view of the person who has died (Rubin, 1999).

There are also many factors that influence these events and emotions such as personality, culture, religion, relationships, and the way in which the deceased passed away (Buglass, 2010, 44). Buglass (2010) refers to Stroebe and Schut’s “flexible” model of grief and explains that a person handling loss will experience lifestyle changes as a result of that loss. This is due to the dual manner of moving between grieving, and trying to come to terms with loss. This theory looks at grieving as a process that happens in everyday life. Other theorists, such as Freud, view grieving as a “solitary process” where mourners withdraw from the world around them and gradually deal with the loss they’ve suffered.

The process model of coping with bereavement identified two types of stressors related to bereavement: “loss-oriented stressors and restoration-oriented stressors. Loss-oriented stressors are essentially those that relate directly to the death and the feelings associated with it. These types of stressors include ruminating on the emotions associated with the deceased, concentrating on how life had been prior to the loss, and focusing on the actual circumstances surrounding the death. Restoration-oriented

Death is a universally experienced phenomenon. In the United States alone, over 2.6 million people die each year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). For practitioners, it is of utmost importance to better understand the process of grief to develop better interventions for bereaved individuals.

Grief and loss are one of the most universal human experiences, though painful, and understandably causes distress. However, approximately 15 % experience a more problematic grieving process with elevated symptoms of depression and/or posttraumatic stress symptoms (Bonanno and Kaltman, 1999).There is no well-established model of the timeline for resolution of grief and the variance of its expression is wide. Many persons cope with the emotional pain of bereavement without any formal intervention. However, individuals who have experienced traumatic bereavement, such as deaths that are sudden, violent, or due to human actions (Green 2000), may face particular challenges. Researchers have tried to define a model for the treatment of traumatic bereavement that fully supports not only the client, but also those working with the clients around their trauma

This grief symptom would be based on gender, ethnicity and race. Based on the analysis of the article and using PREPARE, this article would be retained for the final assignment due to the credibility of the authors, the research which was performed, and the method in which the authors performed the research.

For some bereavement is an unpredictable and traumatic experience, the loss of a loved one may evoke in the individual you support, behaviours and emotions you have not seen

Julie Axelrod’s article reinstates the five stages of grief that were first proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her book On Death and Dying (1969), explaining the five phases individuals are said to go through when faced with difficult situations such as the loss of a relative, close friendship, valued possession, etc. The five stages of grief are: 1. Denial and isolation; 2. Anger; 3. Bargaining; 4.

Complicated grief (CG) is a mental disorder characterised by intense emotions following the death of a loved one, severely and persistently impacting on daily life, compared to normal cases of bereavement (Solomon & Shear, 2015). Lichtenthal, Cruess and Prigerson’s (2004) review discusses the necessity of acknowledging and defining CG as a separate mental disorder. CG is not considered a mental disorder under the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), but is within the category of ‘Disorders Requiring Further Study’ (Shear, Ghesquiere & Glickman, 2013). In Lichtenthal et al.’s (2004) review, CG is defined, and a distinction is made between normal and ‘complicated’ grief. A justification for the discriminant validity of CG is also made, by differentiating CG from other disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and adjustment disorder (AD).

Later, Prigerson et al. (1999) researched disordered grief and found a number of differences as related to anxiety and depression. Both Horowitz and Prigerson’s studies found similarities in that participants had prolonged longing for the deceased, extreme impairing thoughts about the deceased, extreme denial of the death and avoidance ( Boelen & Prigerson, 2007).

Grief is the act following the loss of a loved one. While grief and bereavement are normal occurrences, the grief process is a social construct of how someone should behave. The acceptable ways that people grieve change because of this construct. For a time it was not acceptable to grieve; today, however, it is seen as a necessary way to move on from death (Scheid, 2011).The grief process has been described as a multistage event, with each stage lasting for a suggested amount of time to be considered “normal” and reach resolution. The beginning stage of grief is the immediate shock, disbelief, and denial lasting from hours to weeks (Wambach, 1985). The middle stage is the acute mourning phase that can include somatic and emotional turmoil. This stage includes acknowledging the event and processing it on various levels, both mentally and physically. The final stage is a period of

The loss of a loved one is a very crucial time where an individual can experience depression, somatic symptoms, grief, and sadness. What will be discussed throughout this paper is what the bereavement role is and its duration, as well as the definition of disenfranchised grief and who experiences this type of grief. I will also touch upon the four tasks of mourning and how each bereaved individual must accomplish all four tasks before mourning can be finalized. Lastly, with each of these topics, nursing implications will be outlined on how to care for bereaved individuals and their families.

Grief is an inner sense of loss, feeling of emptiness and sadness every human being experience at some point of life and each person feels and handles it differently. But there are some common stages of grief which starts from recognizing a loss to the final acceptance. It is not necessary that grief should occur after the death of a beloved one. Grief is the multifaceted response to death and losses of all kinds, including emotional (affective), psychological (cognitive and behavioral), social, and physical reactions (Stroebe, Hansson, Stroebe, & Schut, 2001). Grief is a healthy response to a loss, which should not be prevented. But grief lasting more than two months and is severe enough to interfere with daily life may be a sign of

Grief is a journey unique to each individual that is structured through culture, religious beliefs, personality, age, gender and ethnicity among other things, it may be experienced as a inevitability or a devastation (Smit, 2015). It is defined as the normal and natural response to a loss in all of its totality, thus referring to physical, spiritual, emotional, cognitive and social experiences of the loss (Smit, 2015). The most commonly used model of grief is the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross or 5 stage model, this model expects that everyone grieving would go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance in said order (Smit, 2015). However, individuals may

Worden, J. (2009). Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. 4th ed. New York: