facing the loss of their same-sex loved one may experience disenfranchised grief—grief that is not acknowledged or viewed as legitimate, owing to the relationship not being fully recognized by one’s family or community. This may limit the partner’s ability to grieve openly, result in a lack of bereavement support from health care professionals, and cause feelings of isolation. Health care providers should be sensitive to this and proactively offer bereavement support services as needed (Lawton, et al.
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,
visit veterans in health care settings. This new definition will allow veterans to determine their own visitors (Sharpe & Uchendu, 2014). The efforts set forth by the Veterans Administration create an opportunity for more inclusive health services for LGBT individuals outside of the VA. With the abolishment of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policies, LBGT veterans are now considered in the services offered at the VA. As the Veterans Health Administration becomes more inclusive, there is potential for the military
Although marriage equality continues to be in the legislative and media spotlight, little attention has been placed on the significance of legalizing same sex marriage for Black families. This article will discuss the available research on Black lesbian and gay families, highlighting both the strengths and challenges these families negotiate. Focusing on the resources Black lesbian and gay families provide to the Black community, such as foster parenting and adopting Black children, mentoring runaway