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Sarkar S, Gupta P, Sahu A, Anwar N, Sharan P. A qualitative phenomenological exploration of prolonged grief in New Delhi, India. Transcult Psychiatry 2023; 60:929-941. [PMID: 37993997 DOI: 10.1177/13634615231213838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a condition characterized by difficulty in coping effectively with the loss of loved ones. The proposed diagnostic criteria for PGD have been based predominantly on research from developed Western nations. The cultural variations associated with experience and expression of grief and associated mourning rituals have not been considered comprehensively. The current study aimed to understand the experience of prolonged grief in India through a qualitative enquiry with mental health professionals (focus group discussions) and affected individuals (key informant interviews). Several novel findings diverging from the current understanding of manifestation and narratives of PGD emerged from the study, including differences in the social contexts of bereavement and culture-specific magico-religious beliefs and idioms of distress. The findings point to limitations of existing diagnostic systems for PGD. The results of this study suggest that the assumption of content equivalence for psychiatric disorders across cultures may not be justified and that there is a need to develop culturally sensitive diagnostic criteria and assessment scales for PGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Sarkar
- National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Prashant Gupta
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anamika Sahu
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nazneen Anwar
- World Health Organization - South East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India
| | - Pratap Sharan
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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2
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Lau CYH, Tov W. Effects of positive reappraisal and self-distancing on the meaningfulness of everyday negative events. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1093412. [PMID: 36968696 PMCID: PMC10034987 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1093412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Current work on meaning-making has primarily focused on major negative life events such as trauma and loss, leaving common daily adversities unexplored. This study aimed to examine how utilizing meaning-making strategies such as positive reappraisal and self-distancing (in isolation or in combination) can facilitate an adaptive processing of these daily negative experiences. Overall meaning and facets of meaning (coherence, purpose, and significance/mattering) were assessed at both global and situational levels. Results suggested that positive reappraisal was generally effective for enhancing situational meaning but not under all conditions. Specifically, when negative experiences were high on emotional intensity, reflecting on the experience from a distanced (third-person) perspective enhanced coherence and existential mattering more than engaging in positive reappraisal. However, when negative experiences were low on intensity, distanced reflection led to less coherence and mattering than positive reappraisal. The findings of this study elucidated the importance of examining the multidimensional construct of meaning at the facet level and highlighted the importance of applying different coping strategies to effectively make meaning out of daily negative experiences.
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Furuness I, Tavarez MM, McGinty MD, Mendez K, Demree O, Aviles C, Salahuddin M, Coard J, Mandel-Ricci J, Bentley S, Wei E, Flaherty C, Saez M, Indar M, Iavicoli L. Innovations in Fatality Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Health Secur 2022; 20:S90-S96. [PMID: 35452259 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2021.0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Inga Furuness
- Inga Furuness, MPA, BSN, RN, is Assistant Director, Emergency Management, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Madeline M Tavarez
- Madeline M. Tavarez, MPA, CHEP; is Senior Director, Emergency Management Planning and Operations, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Meghan D McGinty
- Meghan D. McGinty, PhD, MPH, MBA, was Director, Emergency Management, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Kim Mendez
- Kim Mendez, EdD, ANP, RN, is Senior Vice President/Corporate Chief Information Officer, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Oliver Demree
- Oliver Demree, BSN, is Associate Director, Emergency Management, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Charles Aviles
- Charles Aviles is Associate Director of Safety Management, NYC H+H/Lincoln, Bronx, NY
| | - Mohammed Salahuddin
- Mohammed Salahuddin, SSBB, CHEP, is Director, Emergency Management, NYC H+H/Queens, NY
| | - Jennifer Coard
- Jennifer Coard, LCSW, is Associate Director of Executive Administration, NYC H+H/Queens, NY
| | - Jenna Mandel-Ricci
- Jenna Mandel-Ricci, MPH, MPA, is Senior Vice President, Healthcare Systems Resilience, Greater New York Hospital Association, New York City, NY
| | - Suzanne Bentley
- Suzanne Bentley, MD, MPH, FACEP, CHSE, is Medical Director of Simulation Center and Attending Physician Emergency Medicine, NYC H+H/Elmhurst, NY
| | - Eric Wei
- Eric Wei, MD, MBA, is Senior Vice President, Chief Quality Officer, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Christine Flaherty
- Christine Flaherty is Senior Vice President, Office of Facilities Development, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Manuel Saez
- Manuel Saez is Assistant Vice President, Facilities Administration, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Mahendranath Indar
- Mahendranath Indar is Senior Director, Office of Facilities Development, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
| | - Laura Iavicoli
- Laura Iavicoli, MD, FACEP, is Senior Assistant Vice President, Emergency Management, New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H)/Central Office, New York City, NY
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4
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Benites AC, Arantes de Oliveira-Cardoso É, Dos Santos MA. Spirituality in Brazilian family caregivers of patients with cancer from the end-of-life care to bereavement. DEATH STUDIES 2022; 47:249-258. [PMID: 35300583 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2022.2051095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although spirituality can be a source of support during end-of-life and engage a transformative experience after loss, few studies report family members' spiritual and existential needs considering their experiences over time. We conducted a longitudinal interpretative phenomenological analysis from audio-recorded interviews of 10 family caregivers while providing end-of-life care for cancer patients and during bereavement. Participants' spirituality experiences were presented in three superordinate themes: connectedness with religious beliefs and the deceased; re-signifying relationships, life, and loss; suffering and the family caregiver's needs. Finding connection through relationships, greater existential and spiritual suffering post-loss were important issues involved in expressing their spirituality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Carolina Benites
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Érika Arantes de Oliveira-Cardoso
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Manoel Antônio Dos Santos
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
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Makgahlela M. Beliefs in Ancestors and Witchcraft as Potential Determinants of Complicated Spiritual Grief. JOURNAL OF LOSS & TRAUMA 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2020.1759214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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6
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Aizenkot D. Meaning-Making to Child Loss: The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations of Death. JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTIVIST PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/10720537.2020.1819491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dana Aizenkot
- Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
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Johnson SK, Zitzmann B. Use of Spirituality to Make Sense of Loss by Homicide. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2020; 84:673-699. [PMID: 32075521 DOI: 10.1177/0030222820907422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article presents a magnification of Stage 2 of the Theory of Post-Homicide Spiritual Change, a three-stage grounded theory of spiritual change after homicide (Theory of PHSC). Having endured the disintegration of their belief systems in the immediate aftermath of murder (Stage 1), survivors turn in Stage 2 to a more extended process of grappling with a crisis of meaning. This Stage 2 process is presented within the framework of the meaning making model, with attention to spiritual meaning making and transcendental experiences. Findings can help service providers support homicide survivors throughout an intermediary stage of bereavement that is marked by a sense of stagnation and diminished well-being. By accompanying survivors through the difficult meaning making efforts that characterize this stage, providers can help position them to break free of intensive cognitive meaning making and gain forward momentum in Stage 3 of the Theory of PHSC and can focus on aspects of life that can help them successfully make meaning of their loss while positioning them to gain forward momentum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon K Johnson
- The Catholic University of America, The National Catholic School of Social Service, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Brooks Zitzmann
- The Catholic University of America, The National Catholic School of Social Service, Washington, DC, USA
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Alvarenga WDA, de Montigny F, Zeghiche S, Polita NB, Verdon C, Nascimento LC. Understanding the spirituality of parents following stillbirth: A qualitative meta-synthesis. DEATH STUDIES 2019; 45:420-436. [PMID: 31403372 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1648336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This meta-synthesis aims to synthesize qualitative evidence from primary studies to better understand the experience of the spirituality of parents and its relationship to adapting following stillbirth. Five electronic databases were systematically searched and the quality of 21 eligible studies was critically appraised. A thematic synthesis revealed two analytical themes: (1) Spiritual suffering following stillbirth; (2) Moving through spirituality to adapt to the loss, each encompassing four descriptive themes. The findings can inform a more culturally and spiritually sensitive approach to care, taking into account the parents' beliefs, folk customs, religion, values, and spiritual needs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francine de Montigny
- Département des Sciences Infirmières, Universite du Quebec en Outaouais, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sabrina Zeghiche
- Département des Sciences Infirmières, Universite du Quebec en Outaouais, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
| | - Naiara Barros Polita
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Chantal Verdon
- Département des Sciences Infirmières, Universite du Quebec en Outaouais, St-Jérôme, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lucila Castanheira Nascimento
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Burke LA, Crunk AE, Neimeyer RA, Bai H. Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief 2.0 (ICSG 2.0): Validation of a revised measure of spiritual distress in bereavement. DEATH STUDIES 2019; 45:249-265. [PMID: 31215843 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1627031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spirituality has long served as a source of solace for many grievers following a loss. For other mourners, whose bereavement experience has been significantly challenged by struggles in their relationship with God and/or their faith community, the opposite is true. Complicated spiritual grief (CSG) is a spiritual crisis following the loss of a loved one. To assess CSG in samples of bereaved adults, a simple-to-use, multidimensional measure of spiritual crisis following loss called the Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief (ICSG) was previously developed and validated. However, subsequent research providing greater clarity about the construct of CSG supported the need to revise and update the ICSG. The goal of the present study was to establish the psychometric validity of a revised measure of CSG, called the Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief 2.0 (ICSG 2.0), with a large, diverse cohort of bereaved Christian adults (N = 440). Analyses of the bifurcated sample supported a three-factor model measuring insecurity with God, estrangement from the spiritual community, and disruption in religious practices. Further analyses supported the convergent and incremental validity of a 28-item scale relative to other theoretically similar instruments and measures of poor bereavement outcome, indicating the instrument's research and clinical usefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie A Burke
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - A Elizabeth Crunk
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Robert A Neimeyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Haiyan Bai
- Department of Learning Sciences & Educational Research, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
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Turner R, Wooten HR, Chou WM. Changing Suicide Bereavement Narrative Through Integral Breath Therapy. JOURNAL OF CREATIVITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2019.1625839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Renee Turner
- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, Texas, USA
| | | | - Wen-Mei Chou
- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, Texas, USA
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11
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Caregiver burden and bereavement among family caregivers who lost terminally ill cancer patients. Palliat Support Care 2019; 17:515-522. [PMID: 30702057 DOI: 10.1017/s1478951518001025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Family caregivers (FCs) in China provide hospice care to terminally ill cancer patients; however, few studies have been conducted in China on caregiver burden and bereavement experiences as a process that continues over time. The purpose of this study was to identify the main elements of caring and bereavement experiences for FCs caring for patients diagnosed with terminal cancer. METHOD Twenty in-depth qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with FCs providing care in a hospice unit in Shenzhen, Southern China. Interview transcripts were analyzed via thematic content analysis. RESULT A framework based on the following eight principal themes was developed through content analysis of our FC interviews: symptoms of the illness, the truth-telling process, attitudes toward death, the "color" of death, social and professional support, the moment of death, and grief and loss. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS The analysis showed that caregiving may positively or negatively influence the bereavement process.
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Abstract
The death of a significant person, especially when it comes tragically or prematurely, can shake the foundations of our assumptive and relational world and lead to anguished attempts to find meaning in the loss and in our lives in its aftermath. In this article, I review one program of research focused on this attempt at meaning reconstruction, describe recently developed measures of meaning in mourning, and discuss several therapeutic techniques for helping clients make sense of the death and rework their attachment relationship to the deceased. I conclude by illustrating some of this work in my therapy with a couple grieving the loss of not one but two children to tragic accidents, as they try to adapt to a compound traumatic bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Neimeyer
- a Department of Psychology , University of Memphis , Memphis , TN , USA
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Johnson SK, Zitzmann B. A Grounded Theory of the Process of Spiritual Change Among Homicide Survivors. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2018; 81:37-65. [PMID: 29388482 DOI: 10.1177/0030222818755285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Grounded theory was used to generate a mid-range theory of the process of spiritual change in the lives of survivors of homicide victims. Theoretical sampling guided the selection of 30 participants from a larger study of spiritual change after homicide (N = 112). Individual interviews were analyzed using a four-step sequence of line-by-line, focused, axial, and selective coding. Analysis generated a closed theory consisting of three fluids, consecutive but nonlinear stages. Each stage consisted of an overarching process and a state of being in the world: (a) Disintegrating: living in a state of shock; (b) Reckoning: living in a state of stagnation; (c) Recreating and reintegrating the self: living in a state of renewal. Movement through the stages was fueled by processes of spiritual connection that yielded changes that permeated the theory. Findings can be used to help practitioners address the processes that drive spiritual change in the lives of homicide survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon K Johnson
- National Catholic School of Social Service, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Brooks Zitzmann
- National Catholic School of Social Service, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
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Granek L, Peleg-Sagy T. The use of pathological grief outcomes in bereavement studies on African Americans. Transcult Psychiatry 2017; 54:384-399. [PMID: 28540767 DOI: 10.1177/1363461517708121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pathological bereavement outcomes (i.e., complicated grief, traumatic grief, prolonged grief disorder) are a robust and growing research area in the psychological and medical sciences. Although grief is considered to be a universal phenomenon, it is well documented that grieving processes and outcomes are culturally and contextually bound. The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine representations of African Americans in the grief and mourning literature and to assess the extent to which this research utilizes pathological grief outcomes; and (b) to examine the characteristics of pathological grief constructs in the literature to assess their relevance for African American populations. We conducted comprehensive searches of three scientific databases including PsycNET, Medline, and CINAHL, which contain the majority of grief and mourning literature published between January 1998 and February 2014. We found 59 studies addressing grief and mourning in African Americans. Thirteen of these studies used pathological grief outcomes. Pathological grief outcomes that were constructed and validated on White populations were frequently used as outcome variables with African American participants. We discuss the implications for the grief and mourning field and argue that the failure to use culturally sensitive outcome measures in research studies is a form of epistemological violence that may have negative research and clinical implications for African Americans and other ethnic minorities.
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Spiritual Distress and Depression in Bereavement: A Meaning-Oriented Contribution. JOURNAL OF RATIONAL-EMOTIVE AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR THERAPY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10942-017-0262-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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The Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief: Assessing Spiritual Crisis Following Loss. RELIGIONS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/rel7060067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abstract
As theories of bereavement have evolved, so too have evidence-based interventions to mitigate complications in post-loss adaptation. This article reviews one line of programmatic research grounded in a conceptualisation of grieving as an attempt to reaffirm or reconstruct a world of meaning challenged by loss. Anchored in therapeutic encounters with the bereaved, a meaning reconstruction approach to loss has grown over the past 15 years to generate an increasingly substantial research base, as well as to develop and refine a wide array of contributions to psychological assessment and therapy. By summarising the major models, measures and methods resulting from this collaborative work, it offers an introduction to meaning reconstruction for those unfamiliar with it, noting its contributions to date, its areas of future development, and its relevance for clinical practice.
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Collison EA, Gramling SE, Lord BD. The role of religious affiliation in Christian and unaffiliated bereaved emerging adults' use of religious coping. DEATH STUDIES 2015; 40:102-112. [PMID: 26313501 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2015.1077355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Though research on bereavement has grown, few studies have focused on emerging adults. To add to the literature, the authors administered the RCOPE to a sample of bereaved college students (analyzed sample N = 748) and explored the relationship between self-reported religious affiliation and religious coping strategies used and endorsed as "most helpful." Results highlight the rich topography of bereavement previously unexamined in understudied populations (i.e., emerging adults, religiously unaffiliated). Specifically, the Christians/affiliated used "negative" religious coping strategies most often, yet identified "positive" strategies as "most helpful," whereas the unaffiliated instead used "positive" strategies most often and identified "negative" strategies as "most helpful."
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Collison
- a Department of Psychology , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Sandra E Gramling
- a Department of Psychology , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Benjamin D Lord
- a Department of Psychology , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
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Granek L, Peleg-Sagy T. Representations of African Americans in the Grief and Mourning Literature from 1998 to 2014: A Systematic Review. DEATH STUDIES 2015; 39:605-632. [PMID: 26018864 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2015.1047059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The authors examined representations of African Americans in the grief literature to assess (a) frequencies; (b) content; and (c) use of universalist or a contextualized framework. They conducted searches in 3 databases that target the grief literature published in the last 15 years. Fifty-nine articles met the criteria. There are a small number of studies published on African Americans and these tend to focus on homicide. Many studies had incomplete methods. Comparison studies were common and pathological grief outcomes that were validated on White populations were used as outcome variables with African American participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeat Granek
- a Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel
| | - Tal Peleg-Sagy
- b Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel
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Burke LA, Clark KA, Ali KS, Gibson BW, Smigelsky MA, Neimeyer RA. Risk Factors for Anticipatory Grief in Family Members of Terminally Ill Veterans Receiving Palliative Care Services. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK IN END-OF-LIFE & PALLIATIVE CARE 2015; 11:244-266. [PMID: 26654060 DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2015.1110071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Anticipatory grief is the process associated with grieving the loss of loved ones in advance of their inevitable death. Because anticipatory grief has been associated with a variety of outcomes, risk factors for this condition deserve closer consideration. Fifty-seven family members of terminally ill, hospice-eligible veterans receiving palliative care services completed measures assessing psychosocial factors and conditions. Elevated anticipatory grief was found in families characterized by relational dependency, lower education, and poor grief-specific support, who also experienced discomfort with closeness and intimacy, neuroticism, spiritual crisis, and an inability to make sense of the loss. Thus, in this sample, anticipatory grief appears to be part of a cluster of factors and associated distress that call for early monitoring and possible intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie A Burke
- a Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Psychology , University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Karen A Clark
- b Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Khatidja S Ali
- b Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Benjamin W Gibson
- c Department of Psychology , University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Melissa A Smigelsky
- a Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Psychology , University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
| | - Robert A Neimeyer
- c Department of Psychology , University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
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Burke LA, Neimeyer RA, Holland JM, Dennard S, Oliver L, Shear MK. Inventory of complicated spiritual grief: development and validation of a new measure. DEATH STUDIES 2014; 38:239-250. [PMID: 24524587 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2013.810098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Although spirituality often has been associated with better outcomes following bereavement, it can be significantly challenged by loss as well. Studies have shown that some bereaved individuals suffer profoundly not only in relation to the death of their loved one but also in their relationship with God and their faith community, a condition known as complicated spiritual grief (CSG). However, to date, in the absence of a simple, multidimensional, and well-validated measure of spiritual crisis following loss, investigators have measured CSG with nongrief-specific instruments. In this study, the authors tested the reliability and validity of a newly developed measure of CSG, called the Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief (ICSG). With 2 diverse samples of bereaved adult Christians (total n = 304), the authors found that the ICSG had strong internal consistency, and high test-retest reliability for both subscales in a subsample of participants. Analyses of both samples supported a 2-factor model, with one factor measuring Insecurity with God and the other assessing Disruption in Religious Practice. Analyses further supported the convergent and incremental validity of the 18-item ICSG relative to other theoretically similar instruments and measures of poor bereavement outcome, suggesting its usefulness in clinical research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie A Burke
- a Department of Psychology , University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA
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