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This article will address altruism in the care giving of an ill person and also consider some of the factors—responsibility, empathy and motivation—that influence helping behavior. A literature review indicates ongoing disagreements among scholars in relation to altruism and its motives. Inquiries are made into empathetic reactions using spoken and unspoken cues, and a transformation of altruism into compassionate action is examined. Assumption of responsibility will be analyzed with special reference to the role of the provider of care for an ill person. Models, theories, and approaches relating to altruism are examined as well as the various causes that contribute to the behavior of the care taker, including cooperation. The impact of altruism on families and in relationships is discussed on a cultural level with respect to norms. Lastly, the research is applied to the Florida Terri Schindler/ Schiavo case and its subjects, relating altruism and care giving to an assumed Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) patient.

This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for managing grief experienced by bereaved spouses or partners of adults who had received palliative care. Systematic searches were undertaken on seven bibliographic databases and grey literature was also searched. The review was informed by the use of the PICO framework and PRISMA-P guidelines. Initially 30 relevant papers were identified, but only two international studies met the criteria for inclusion. One was a qualitative, doctoral study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis; the other, a randomized controlled trial comparing ACT with usual psychosocial support. These studies showed some evidence of benefit for bereaved individuals, particularly by promoting the acceptance of troubling emotions. However, this type of therapy may be more effective in reducing psychological distress rather than grief. Further research is needed into the value of ACT in addressing grief following bereavement.

Objectives explore thoughts and feelings of children on COVID-19, find out how they cope, and what they did during lockdown. It was total lockdown in Luzon, Philippines, April 2020 – when survey was conducted; pre-tested open-end questionnaire was administered to children who answered either by paper and pen, or through social media, with parents’ cooperation. Participants 200 boys and girls, 6-12 years old, public and private schools in NCR-Luzon. Results Participants heard COVID-19, pandemic and lock down from media and family; described as deadly, dangerous, contagious, world-wide, death-causing virus; about 90% expressed sadness, fear, boredom, anger, disappointments and difficult time; employed self-enhanced coping mechanisms, and engaged in hobbies and interests to assuage thoughts and feelings; family appeared as saving grace. Recommendations: develop strategies to assist children during critical events; studies – find out effects of pandemic on participants’ health; visit participants after two years to find out reminiscence of pandemic experience.

In this paper the author explores the process of mourning as experienced by bereaved pet owners. Losing a pet is an agonizing experience. It was expected that the process of mourning for a pet loss would be similar to the process associated with the loss of a human. Data were collected by viewing postings on the alt.support.grief.pet-loss newsgroup. Those who suffered the loss of a pet expressed qualities associated with Parks' (1987) four-phased process of mourning. Two serendipitous findings were the role of guilt and the strong belief in an afterlife for the pet.

At first glance, acute grief would not seem to be a medical or psychiatric disorder in the strict sense of the word but rather a normal reaction to a distressing situation. However, the understanding of reactions to traumatic experiences whether or not they represent clear-cut neuroses has become of ever-increasing importance to the psychiatrist. Bereavement or the sudden cessation of social interaction seems to be of special interest because it is often cited among the alleged psychogenic factors in psychosomatic disorders. The enormous increase in grief reactions due to war casualties, furthermore, demands an evaluation of their probable effect on the mental and physical health of our population. The points to be made in this paper are as follows: i. Acute grief is a definite syndrome with psychological and somatic symptomatology. 2. This syndrome may appear immediately after a crisis; it may be delayed; it may be exaggerated or apparently al)sent. 3. In place of the typical syndrome there may appear distorted pictures, each of which represents one special aspect of the grief syndrome. 4. By appropriate techniques these distorted pictures can be successfully transformed into a normal grief reaction with resolution. Our observations comprise tot patients. Included are (i) psychoneurotic patients who lost a relative during the course of treatment, (2) relatives of patients who uied in the hospital, (3) bereaved disaster victims (Cocoanut Grove Fire) and their close relatives, ( ) relatives of members of the armed forces.