Grief and Bereavement

1. Grief and Bereavement

2. Objective The learner will be able to compare and contrast grief and bereavement.

3. Grief and Bereavement Grief: The normal process of reacting to loss. Bereavement: The human experience occurring with the death of a loved one.

4. Manifestations of Grief • Difficulty concentrating • Ongoing sadness • Constant thoughts of the person who died • Guilt • Anger • Changes in the way a person acts or feels normally • Weight loss • Loss of appetite • Difficulty sleeping • Heart palpitations • Anxiety and fear • Loneliness and pain

5. Phases of Bereavement • Shock and numbness • Yearning and searching • Disorganization and despair • Reorganization

6. Bereavement Tasks • Accepting the reality of loss • Working through the pain of grief • Adjusting to the environment without the deceased • Emotionally relocating the deceased and moving on with life

7. Dysfunctional Responses • Prolonged denial of loss • Refusal to mourn • Gastrointestinal symptoms, shortness of breath, and muscle tension • Behavioral issues (e.g., substance abuse, phobias, difficulty with concentration)

8. Grief Management • All are normal responses to grief but should resolve within one year. • Dysfunctional grief reactions may require intervention from a psychosocial professional. • Rapid referrals should be made for intensive assessment and treatment.

9. References Holtslander, L.F., & McMillan, S.C. (2011). Depressive symptoms, grief, and complicated grief among family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer three months into bereavement. Oncology Nursing Forum, 38, 6065. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2010). A LifeCare guide to grief and bereavement. Retrieved from http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/NYCU/grief.pdf