Grief Counseling Research Articles

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for prolonged grief: theory, research, and practice.

Prolonged Grief Disorder occurs within 7-10% of the bereaved population and is a more complicated and persistent form of grief which has been associated with suicidality, mental health disorders, sleep disturbance, poor health behaviors, and work and social impairment. EMDR is a fitting treatment option for those with Prolonged Grief, focusing on processing past memories, blocks, current triggers, future fears, and preparing the person for living life beyond the loss in line with the Adaptive Information Processing Model and grief frameworks. This paper discusses the theory, research regarding the application of EMDR with prolonged grief, and gives insight and guidance to clinicians working in this area including a case example.

From Loss to Healing: Navigating Perinatal Grief with Enhanced Psychological Care

IntroductionSeveral factors can influence the journey of perinatal grief in mothers, including the quality of care during this experience. The objective of our study was to investigate the factors influencing the perception of grieving women during the perinatal period and identify the role of medical and paramedical healthcare professionals in psychological support.ObjectivesTo determine the factors influencing the perception of fetal loss in grieving mothers.MethodsThis was a descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective study conducted between july 2021 and march 2022 at the Fetal Pathology Department of the Center for Maternity and Neonatology in Tunis, Tunisia. The study included women who experienced perinatal loss and underwent fetal pathology examination.The study was conducted in two stages: Initial consultation at the Fetal Pathology Department, five weeks after the date of expulsion, for perinatal grief counseling. Follow-up interview one year after the date of expulsion: The participants were contacted via telephone for an average duration of twenty minutes .The assessment of perinatal grief during both interviews was conducted using the shortened version of the Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS)Results The mean age of the patients was 31.41 years (± 5.15). The average gravidity was 2.47 (± 1.43). More than half of the patients had no living children (n=41). The majority of patients had no notable pathological history. Six patients had been followed in psychiatry, and five had a history of subfertility. The majority of patients (n=61) reported having good marital relationships.Among the participants, 20% (n=14) had a high Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS) score (PGS >= 91) at five weeks post-loss and were subsequently referred for psychiatric consultation.At one year, all participants had a PGS score > 91, demonstrating the effectiveness of psychiatric management. Multivariate analysis identified four independent factors associated with a high PGS score at five weeks: absence of living children (OR=0.59; 95% CI [0.36-0.98]; p=0.04), quality of marital relationship (OR=1.2; 95% CI [1.1-3.9]; p=0.02), family support (OR=2.52; 95% CI [1.55-4.12]; p<0.001), and quality of loss disclosure (OR=2.52; 95% CI [1.32-3.77]; p=0.003).ConclusionsTo identify patients at high risk of developing complicated grief and improve the quality of psychological care, it is necessary to implement appropriate protocols, provide training to healthcare personnel, and establish well-equipped healthcare facilities.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Understanding laypersons’ perceptions of pathological grief and their support recommendations in a German sample

BackgroundKnowledge about mental disorders (mental health literacy, MHL) among laypeople facilitates adequate help-seeking. Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a relatively new diagnosis and little is known about MHL regarding PGD. Since grief is a normal phenomenon, it may be difficult for laypeople to recognise the presence of this mental disorder and their decision could be influenced by circumstantial factors determining the expression and intensity of grief.We examined whether the gender of the bereaved person and the person's relationship to the deceased affected laypeople's recognition of PGD as a mental disorder and what treatment laypeople would recommend for PGD. MethodsA German convenience sample (n = 369) was randomly presented one of four vignettes. Vignettes varied the gender of the bereaved person (male vs female) and the relationship to the deceased (child vs parent). Participants indicated whether in their view the depicted person suffered from a mental disorder and what treatment they would recommend. Additionally, participants rated their agreement with positive and negative statements about PGD. ResultsNeither gender nor the relationship to the deceased influenced laypeople's diagnostic ratings and treatment recommendations. If participants considered a mental disorder to be present, they recommended most strongly grief counselling, followed by psychotherapy and self-help groups. Attitudes towards PGD were overwhelmingly positive. LimitationsResults need to be replicated in representative samples. ConclusionLaypeople mostly recognised PGD as a mental disorder and recommended seeking help. As only psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment for PGD, knowledge about different treatment options must be disseminated among the public.

"Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of perinatal grief scale in Urdu: Addressing a gap in the research of perinatal loss in Pakistan-Cross-sectional validation study".

Perinatal grief have a significant influence on maternal mental health, hence appropriate tools for assessment are necessary. In this study, we translated and validated the Perinatal Grief Scale in Urdu (PGS-Urdu) for use in Pakistan, therefore filling the gap in validated tools. Data was collected from 165 women using consecutive sampling. Initially, "forward/backward" translation was used. For validity, content validity index and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used respectively, and "Cronbach's-Alpha" for reliability. In the validity stage, items 8, 11, 23, and 32 of the original scale were eliminated based on feedback from the target groups and the expert panel. For data-analysis, SPSS 26 and Amos 26 were used. In analyzing the "Confirmatory factor analysis", the "all-fitness indicators" validated the three-factor structure of 29-item main scale. Cronbach alpha value was 0.83 for the entire scale The CFA results showed that all fitness indicators, with the exception of four, had loadings greater than 0.20, supporting the main scale's three-factor structure. With a Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.83 for overall reliability, and varied from 0.81 to 0.87 for the PGS-U variables. the PGS-U exhibits an acceptable level of internal consistency. The PGS-U identifies women in perinatal grief for medical and social care. This research supports using the Urdu perinatal grief scale in obstetrics and bereavement counseling to reduce maternal mental health issues.

Pioneers, Pillars, and Paradigms: History of the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling

Pioneers, Pillars, and Paradigms: History of the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling

An Antidote to the Pathologizing of Grief: Applying the Power–Threat–Meaning Framework

Emerging theories of grief over the last 30 years have represented a shift from the healing of pathology to a focus on the adaptation to loss. Recently, however, there has been an alarming resurgence for a medicalized model of grief, most saliently evident in the removal of the bereavement exclusion from the diagnosis of major depressive disorder in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(5th ed.;DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) and the inclusion of prolonged grief disorder in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision(DSM-5-TR; APA, 2022). These have predictably opened up opportunities for the pursuit of pharmacological treatment including antidepressants and medication usually offered for recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. A pathologizing approach to grief can have a significant and detrimental impact on individuals and compromises the core humanistic values that underpin my professional identity as a counselling psychologist. I propose that we need a radically different lens, and the power–threat–meaning framework (PTMF), an alternative to psychiatric diagnosis developed by psychologists in the United Kingdom, offers us such an opportunity. Consideration is given to how the PTMF may be applied to grief therapy where it can embrace the uniqueness of grief responses and reframe it as an entirely understandable response to trauma and loss.

Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder and its symptoms among bereaved individuals in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe prevalence of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and its symptoms among the bereaved population in China vary considerably.AimsThis meta-analysis aims to estimate the prevalence of PGD and its symptoms among...

Relationship between Grief and Loss Counselling and Adjustment of Social Behaviours among the Elderly in Sigowet-Soin Sub County of Kericho County

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between grief and loss counselling and the adjustment of social behaviours among the elderly in Sigowet-Soin Sub County of Kericho County, Kenya. The study utilized a person-centered theory and adopted a concurrent mixed methods research design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative study employed an experimental design, while the qualitative study utilized a case study design. The target population consisted of 60 elderly individuals, with 30 selected for the study group and another 30 for the control group using stratified random sampling. Data collection involved the use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews, with research instruments validated by experts and supervisors. The reliability of the instruments was determined through a pilot study in Sigowet-Soin constituency, employing test-retest method and Pearson correlation coefficient. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics, presenting findings through frequency distribution tables, diagrams, pie charts, and bar graphs. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study revealed no statistically significant differences between the intervention group and control group in terms of grief and loss counselling (p >0.05). Thus, the study concluded that grief and loss counselling interventions did not help improve the social behaviours of the elderly. Grief and loss counselling has no significant effect in enhancing social behaviour of the elderly. The assessment of the grief and loss social behaviour reveals the need for further analysis to understand the effective strategies to assist elderly people cope up with the profound losses. Since the program implemented was not statistically significant. Further studies can help the influential factors on depression, stress management, self-esteem and relationship problems among the elderly.

A Critical Evaluation of the Impact of Religious Belief (Christianity) within Post-Colonial African Burial Rites: A South African Perspective

The mystery of death, dying and funerals has been a universal phenomenon in the lives of almost all human beings, from humanity’s fall from grace to today. Death visits every culture, clan and family, and yet it continues to be a terrifying, unexpected stranger and the most feared enemy of human beings. People from different cultures use different coping mechanisms to fight off the pain of death, but for some people in the Collins Chabane Municipality, a particular Christian religious belief has been shown to be the most reliable asset during the battle. It is questionable whether alternative traditions besides Christianity can compete with Christianity in bringing healing from the pain of death. Various methods of healing, like African grief therapy and psychological healing, are offered to bereaved family members after death and even after burial, but are they enough for Africans to return to their normal lives? This article discusses why (Christian) religious belief is essential during and after the burial of a loved one. This is carried out within the context of colonialism having eroded all African traditions, creating a space for Christianity alone to be a remedy in death and burying.

Understanding the Psychology of Grief

Grief is a normal response that occurs after the loss of a close one and is a process that takes time to heal. It can be defined as the normal process people go through to readjust their lives after a loss. To understand the psychology of grief, it is important to understand the theoretical and conceptual framework of grief and use effective treatment approaches to move beyond grief. In this chapter, a theoretical framework of grief, along with myths and cultural im- plications about the grieving process, and normal and pathological grief processes diagnosed as persistent complex bereavement disorder are mentioned. Also, it is mentioned about effective grief therapy methods such as grief coun- seling, family therapy approaches, expressive art therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychother- apy, complicated grief therapy, and existential therapy. This literature review study examines the grief process and psychology in different aspects, understanding the theoretical framework of 21st century grief therapy approaches to provide a structure to recognize and realize grief multidimensionally and treat it integratively with using several techniques from various therapeutical schools.

The Effect of Family-Focused Grief Therapy on Family Functioning in Families with Cancer

İleri evre kanser tanısı sadece hastayı değil, aynı zamanda hastanın aile üyelerini de etkilemektedir. Paralel olarak bir dizi çalışma, kanser hastası olan ailelerin işlevselliğinde bozulma olduğunu tespit etmiştir. Aile işlevselliğinin boyutları olan ifade gücü, bağlılık ve çatışma çözme etkilenerek aile bireylerinin iyi oluş halinin olumsuz yönde değişmesine sebep olmaktadır. Kanserle karşı karşıya olan ailelerin, palyatif bakım ve yas sırasında aile işlevselliğini iyileştirmeyi amaçlayan bir müdahaleye ihtiyaç duymasına rağmen terapötik yaklaşımların aile işlevselliğini ihmal ettiği görülmek- tedir. Bu noktada, aile odaklı yas terapisi, kanser teşhisi ile başlayan bu zorlu süreç içerisinde risk altında bulunan aileler için önleyici bir müdahale olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu çalışma, aile odaklı yas terapisinin kanser hastası olan ailelerin aile işlevselliğine olan etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaçla ilk olarak kanser teşhisinin aileler ve aile işlevselliği üzerindeki etkisi açıklanmış, daha sonra palyatif bakım ile yas sürecine değinilmesi sağlanarak aile odaklı yas terapisi literatür bağlamında tartışılmıştır.

‘I have just written a song which came out of my soul’: Lay Music Production and the Death of President John F. Kennedy

ABSTRACT The death of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963 drew a mass outpouring of public and private grief. Thousands of people from all over the world sent condolence messages to his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy. They also sent pieces of music, sometimes hurriedly composed, in response to their overwhelming grief. Most of these pieces have never been heard and sit in a silent archive. This essay examines the condolence music composed for Kennedy, focusing especially on the lay material in the condolence archive, and discovers men, women, and children who found solace in the songwriting process, pre-empting what we now know to be an effective form of grief therapy. It reveals the characteristics of lay music production in response to Kennedy’s death, and how the people who sent music to Jacqueline Kennedy explained what they were doing and why they were doing it.

Ecological Sorrow: Types of Grief and Loss in Ecological Grief

Ecological changes evoke many felt losses and types of grief. These affect sustainability efforts in profound ways. Scholarship on the topic is growing, but the relationship between general grief research and ecological grief has received surprisingly little attention. This interdisciplinary article applies theories of grief, loss, and bereavement to ecological grief. Special attention is given to research on “non-death loss” and other broad frameworks of grief. The dynamics related to both local and global ecological grief are discussed. The kinds of potential losses arising from ecological issues are clarified using the frameworks of tangible/intangible loss, ambiguous loss, nonfinite loss and shattered assumptions. Various possible types of ecological grief are illuminated by discussing the frameworks of chronic sorrow and anticipatory grief/mourning. Earlier scholarship on disenfranchised ecological grief is augmented by further distinctions of the various forms it may take. The difficulties in defining complicated or prolonged grief in an ecological context are discussed, and four types of “complicated ecological grief” are explored. On the basis of the findings, three special forms of ecological loss and grief are identified and discussed: transitional loss and grief, lifeworld loss and shattered dreams. The implications of the results for ecological grief scholarship, counselling and coping are briefly discussed. The results can be used by psychological and healthcare professionals and researchers but also by members of the public who wish to reflect on their eco-emotions. They also have implications for policy makers.

Clinical Experiences of Perinatal Palliative Care After a Stillbirth: A Narrative Therapy for Grief.

Narrative care for families suffering from perinatal loss is rarely provided by medical institutions in China Mainland. However, with the advancement of the Chinese narrative medicine theory and practice, the clinical significance of narrative care has been increasingly recognized. Based on the principles of Chinese narrative medicine, this narrative case study described traumatic narrative foreclosures occuring in a family suffering from stillbirth, and highlighted the multidisciplinary collaboration for practising narrative care in the process of supporting the bereaved in our hospital. Meanwhile, we advocate the establishment of a narrative care ecology by training more obsteticians and nurses with good narrative competence in purpose of helping the family experiencing perinatal losses to overcome their tramatic narrative foreclosures, increasing the chances of another successful pregnancy and childbirth as well as enhancing their quality of life.

"You Are in the Middle of a Road, a Road With No End": Experiences of Women Who Underwent Medical Termination of Their Pregnancies: A Phenomenologıcal Study.

This article focused on the experiences of women who underwent medical termination of their pregnancies. The study adopted a qualitative phenomenological research design with a sample of 20 pregnant women. Data were collected between April and June 2022 using a personal information form and a semistructured individual interview. The qualitative data were analyzed into 4 categories: "psychosocial impacts," "impacts on functionality," "coping," and "expectations." These categories comprised 8 themes and 24 subthemes. Nurses play a crucial role in adopting family-centered approaches to offer holistic care. They should prioritize providing physical care throughout the medical termination, while also assessing the psychological impact of fetal loss. Perinatal palliative care and bereavement counseling should be integrated into care practices.

The grieving process after the death of a close person

The death of a loved one is one of the most traumatic psychological experiences. As a reaction to the trauma due to the death of a loved one, a series of emotions, bodily sensations, behavior, and thought content is created. Grief is a universal reaction to death. Grieving is a process, specific to individuals and differs in duration and characteristics. The grieving process has stages and tasks, in order for the grieving person to functionally adapt to the loss. The new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) classifies prolonged grief as a psychiatric disorder, which significantly correlates with anxiety, depression, somatization, post-traumatic stress. The aim of this overview (theoretical) paper is to present the results of empirical research in which significant elements of the grieving process were studied. These are psychological experiences in grieving (feelings, bodily sensations, content of thoughts, forms of behavior), stages of grieving (numbness, longing, disorganization of behavior, reorganization of life), tasks of grieving (accepting the reality of loss, processing pain, adapting to the environment, emotional displacement of the deceased) and the end of grieving. In this paper, we examined the emotional connection of the grieving person with the deceased from the perspective of the theory of affective attachment. The paper may benefit individuals who are in the process of grieving, as well as professionals in the fields of mental health, counseling and grief therapy.

Process-based Therapy for Complicated Grief in Clinical Practice

Process-based Therapy for Complicated Grief in Clinical Practice

Support needs of Australians bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey study.

COVID-19 disrupted access to bereavement support. The objective of this study was to identify the bereavement supports used by Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic, perceived helpfulness of supports used, prevalence and areas of unmet support need, and characteristics of those with unmet support needs. A convenience sample of bereaved adults completed an online questionnaire (April 2021-April 2022) about their bereavement experiences including support use and perceived helpfulness, unmet support needs and mental health. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to determine sociodemographic correlates of unmet needs. Open-ended responses were examined using content analysis to determine key themes. 1,878 bereaved Australians completed the questionnaire. Participants were mostly women (94.9%) living in major cities (68%) and reported the death of a parent (45%), with an average age of 55.1 years (SD = 12.2). The five most used supports were family and friends, self-help resources, general practitioners, psychologists, and internet/online community groups. Notably, each was nominated as most helpful and most unhelpful by participants. Two-thirds (66%) reported specific unmet support needs. Those with unmet needs scored lower on mental health measures. Correlates of unmet needs included being of younger age, being a spouse or parent to the deceased; reporting more impacts from public health measures, and not reporting family and friends as supports. The most frequent unmet need was for social support after the death and during lockdown. This study demonstrates the complexity of bereavement support needs during a pandemic. Specialised grief therapy needs to be more readily available to the minority of grievers who would benefit from it. A clear recommendation for a bereavement support action plan is to bolster the ability of social networks to provide support in times of loss. The fostering of social support in the wake of bereavement is a major gap that needs to be addressed in practice, policy, and research.

Research on Counseling Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The critical role of counseling psychology and therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the focus of this article. Counseling therapy is fundamental in understanding, diagnosing, and treating this complex disease. This study explores the psychological mechanisms underlying PTSD, including theoretical frameworks for understanding the disorder and the critical roles that cognitive processes, memory, and emotion regulation play in its development. Elucidate the complex interplay of these mechanisms to gain a complete understanding of disease etiology and persistence. This article finds that a therapeutic framework that combines trauma counseling, CBT, and EMDR can be incorporated into the treatment of PTSD. This goes some way to addressing the inherent complexities of trauma and PTSD. Additionally, this study recognizes the dual impact of counseling therapy, recommending that counselors prioritize self-care, setting boundaries, seeking support, and the importance of a culture that promotes the normalization of help-seeking behaviors. These findings and insights lay the foundation for further research and clinical practice, emphasizing the importance of developing and adapting treatments to better serve individuals affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Postmortem minimally invasive tissue sampling in communities: exploring perceptions of families, funeral workers, religious and community leaders and healthcare providers from Pakistan

BackgroundMinimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) has increasingly been used to improve the diagnosis of disease and identification of the cause of death, particularly in underserved areas. However, there are multiple barriers to accessing those who die within the community, our study aimed to explore the perceptions and insights of community members and healthcare providers regarding the feasibility of implementing MITS in community settings.MethodsA qualitative exploratory study was conducted. A total of twenty one in-depth interviews were conducted with deceased infants’ parents, elders of the family, religious leaders, community leaders, and funeral workers. Focus group discussions were conducted with health care providers (n = 14) in two peri-urban slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The duration of this study was from August to October 2020. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis and was coded and merged into categories forming eight major themes.ResultsIn general, participants viewed minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) as beneficial for improving child health, though some had concerns about disrespecting the deceased during sample collection. Misinformation, fear of needles, and medical procedures were major barriers to MITS implementation. To enhance acceptance, community and religious leaders suggested using religious rulings, obtaining parental consent, ensuring confidentiality, and increasing efforts of community engagement. Community healthcare providers, along with funeral workers, recommended providing community members with grief counseling to increase study participation. Besides concerns about sampling interfering with respect for the decease, community members also raised concerns about misinformation. Further, participants provided feedback on the design and appearance of the mobile van used to collect MITS samples from children under the age of five.ConclusionThis study is critical for understanding the challenges associated with implementation of community-based MITS sampling in Pakistan. Integrating the use of a mobile van for sample collection, grief counseling along with community engagement sessions and advocacy will help address community-based misinformation and develop community trust.