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Bereavement and Mourning: Psychological and Social Considerations

Bereavement and Mourning: Psychological and Social Considerations. Chapter 8: Understanding the Experience of Loss Chapter 11: Death in the Lives of Adults Models of Coping with Bereavement Grief Work Hypothesis Dual Process Model. Bereavement and Mourning.

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Bereavement and Mourning: Psychological and Social Considerations

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  1. Bereavement and Mourning: Psychological and Social Considerations Chapter 8: Understanding the Experience of Loss Chapter 11: Death in the Lives of Adults Models of Coping with Bereavement Grief Work Hypothesis Dual Process Model

  2. Bereavement and Mourning Models of Coping with Bereavement • “Grieving is crucial, necessary and unavoidable for successful adaptation." (Malkinson, 1996, p. 155) • "Those who show the most evidence of working through the loss are those who ultimately have the most difficulty in resolving what has happened." (Wortman & Silver, 1987, p. 207) • Centrality of grief work: dominant theoretical formulation

  3. Bereavement and Mourning Grief Work Hypothesis • need to confront experience of bereavement • suppression of loss pathological/detrimental health consequences • need to come to terms with loss • work toward detachment from deceased • mastery of pain • Acceptance ≠ better adaptation

  4. Bereavement and Mourning Limitations of Grief Work Hypothesis • Inadequate Representation of Bereavement-Related Phenomena (a) definition of the bereavement stressor (b) process (c) outcome variables

  5. Bereavement and Mourning (a) Bereavement as Stressor: • lack of specification of loss/change • lack of recognition of range of stressors • lack of recognition of multiplicity of losses • requires restoration of coherence in life narrative

  6. Bereavement and Mourning (b) Process Variables: Non-dynamic, Intrapersonal Conceptualization • Dynamics of confrontation-avoidance • Coping in social/interpersonal context

  7. Bereavement and Mourning (c) Outcome Variables • Medical model focus • Focus on psychological/physical symptomatology • Focus on negative “products” of grieving • Human suffering pathologized

  8. Bereavement and Mourning Lack of Universal Application • Gender specificity • Cultural specificity Conclusions • Identify facilitative types of confrontation/avoidance

  9. Bereavement and Mourning Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement (Stroebe & Schut, 1999) • Loss Oriented Coping • Restoration Oriented Coping • Oscillation ** PROCESS/COPING STRATEGIES ≠ goals/outcomes

  10. Dual Process Model of Bereavement

  11. Bereavement and Mourning Loss-Oriented Coping • focusing on & processing loss experience • focus on continuing relationship with deceased • range of emotional reactions: • pleasurable reminiscing  painful longing • happiness re end of suffering  despair of being left alone

  12. Bereavement and Mourning Restoration-Oriented Coping • restoration: NOT outcome variable • restoration: secondary sources of stress & coping with stress • Mastering new tasks • Re-organizing life • Developing new identity (finding meaning*) • range of emotional reactions: • pride of self-efficacy  anxiety re failure

  13. Bereavement and Mourning Oscillation • central distinguishing component of model • alternation between loss- & restoration-oriented coping • dynamic regulatory mechanism • oscillation key to mental/physical health outcome

  14. Bereavement and Mourning Implications: Social and Cultural Context of Grieving • reciprocal impact of multiple grievers • confrontation with reality of loss necessary but modulated • non-traditional coping patterns beneficial

  15. Bereavement and Mourning Gender Differences • poor health consequences: unmitigated communion & unmitigated agency Men benefit > from disclosure/emotion focused approach Women benefit > from problem focused approach adoption of non-traditional coping patterns reduces distress

  16. Bereavement and Mourning Advantages of DPM • dynamic: loss-oriented and restoration oriented • permits microlevel analyses of cognitive/emotional processes • value-free model (permits cultural and personal variation)

  17. Bereavement and Mourning Current Theoretical Status • extension/specification of grief work • compatibility with other theories (theoretical pluralism): • Attachment theory (Bowlby)  role of continuing bonds • Cognitive Stress theory (Lazarus & Folkman)  role of positive meaning re/construction (e.g., disclosure)

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