Search

Researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and collaborating organizations have published a paper in The Lancet Public Health calling for greater investment in bereavement care. The authors highlight the adverse outcomes associated with bereavement, including mental health challenges, decreased quality of life, and increased risk of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They propose a model for transitional care that involves establishing bereavement support services within healthcare organizations and bolstering community-based support. The Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is advocating for this model and aims to serve as a global model for other health organizations. [Extracted from the article]

A personal narrative is presented in which the author, visual artist Donna Basin, talks about her education and career development, portrait collaborations and restoring the torn portraits using golden rice paper and thread to acknowledge the lingering scars.

This article discusses the importance of assessing grief symptoms in children and adolescents, specifically in the Portuguese population. The paper focuses on two studies that aim to translate and validate child-friendly measures for screening and assessing prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in this population. The studies include a total of 187 participants between the ages of 8 and 18. The article emphasizes the relevance of assessing grief symptoms in children and adolescents for their well-being, mental health, and academic achievement. However, it should be noted that this preprint has not yet undergone peer review. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores how ‘recovery’ from grief is negotiated in bereavement care practice in England. What constitutes recovery from grief remains contested in bereavement research and practice. In this paper, I outline some of the debates in the literature concerning what constitutes recovery following bereavement before presenting interview data from bereavement counsellors and support workers to discover how practitioners negotiate recovery following bereavement in practice. The findings show mixed responses to the use of the term recovery. I highlight six components that emerged across the accounts and that the participants agreed were important to the success of bereavement counselling. However, rather than provide an empirical basis for recovery, the findings in this paper reveal the conflicts and ambiguities that exist in bereavement care practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In "Burnout: The Emotional Experience of Political Defeat" by Hannah Proctor, the author examines the emotional toll of political activism and the challenges faced by activists in maintaining resilience and commitment to their cause. Proctor explores the relationship between wounded attachment to a movement and revolutionary commitment, as well as the potential for bitterness and melancholy to replace hope and mourning. The article references literature, films, and historical events to illustrate these concepts and suggests that embracing vulnerability and grief can lead to strength and wholeness within the activist community. [Extracted from the article]

Bereavement, due to the loss of a significant person through death, presents imprisoned persons with a unique challenge, yet so very little is known about the experience of bereavement behind bars. This paper, based on a qualitative practitioner-research study, explores the experience of bereavement in prison through drawing on the author's counselling work with bereaved male inmates of a Scottish prison and focussing on the bereavement experience as lived and described by one client in his own words. The paper depicts the experience of bereavement behind bars as deeply distressing and despairing. It portrays how the powerful sociocultural prescriptions of the prison environment can cause the grief of prison inmates to be profoundly disenfranchised and demonstrates how this can impact hugely negatively on their coping ability. The paper calls for the development of support systems to ensure a level of bereavement care more attuned to the needs of imprisoned persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New research on psychoanalysis explores the impact of the capacity to mourn on both individual and collective levels. The research suggests that the ability to mourn is currently under siege in the Western world, affecting both macro and micro mourning processes. These difficulties in mourning contribute to social problems such as social injustice, wars, and the climate crisis. The research emphasizes the need for psychoanalysts to address these issues in their clinical work and within the global community. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the life and legacy of Eva Perón, the beloved First Lady of Argentina. It discusses her rise to popularity, her involvement in politics and philanthropy, and her battle with cancer. Despite controversy and criticism, Eva Perón remains an iconic figure in Argentina's history and her influence is still felt today. [Extracted from the article]

The article provides an overview of the exhibition "Dreamhome: Stories of Art and Shelter" at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. The exhibition showcases the work of various artists who explore the concept of home and shelter from diverse perspectives. The artworks address issues such as homelessness, social inequality, trauma, and the longing for belonging. The article also mentions the financial difficulties faced by the gallery and the impact of the pandemic on the art industry. [Extracted from the article]

Rachel receives a letter informing her of her Uncle Stuart's death and decides to attend his funeral in her small hometown of Paradise. On her way, she reflects on her memories of Uncle Stuart and wonders about the circumstances of his death. Rachel visits Grandma Ruth's UP Truck Stop, where she finds comfort and support from Ruth, who suggests she meet Marcus, a marine biologist. Rachel visits Marcus but finds him socially awkward and uncomfortable when he unexpectedly kisses her. The text reveals that Rachel's grandmother, Ruth, has been turning the town's residents into robots to keep the town alive. Rachel is initially horrified but eventually agrees to help Ruth build and fix robots. The story raises questions about the ethics of emotional relationships with nonliving things and the value of preserving interactions with loved ones, prompting readers to consider whether Ruth's actions are justified in her efforts to keep the town alive. [Extracted from the article]

The article examines how therapists are responding to grief due to COVID-19. Topics include observation of Sigmund Freud on symptoms of mourning and melancholia, definition given by ICD-11 on prolonged grief disorder (PGD), and the publication of several papers on the impact of COVID-related deaths on people and the risk of developing PGD by bereavement researcher and psychologist Professor Robert Neimeyer.

Accumulating evidence suggests that a dementia diagnosis, for many, triggers feelings of grief, and often marks the first of many losses that will be experienced by both the person who has received the diagnosis and their loved ones, as the disease progresses. Previous research has also revealed that carers who report higher levels of pre-death grief are at greater risk of complicated grief after their loved one has died. Despite this evidence, appropriate bereavement support for people bereaved by dementia is a significant unmet need. The Bereaved by Dementia project was delivered collaboratively by Cruse Cymru and Alzheimer's Cymru to address the bereavement needs of people bereaved by dementia throughout Wales. This paper draws on an independent evaluation of the Bereaved by Dementia Project conducted by Aston University and the University of Bristol. We summarise our main findings, recommendations, and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As this issue celebrates 60 years since the founding of Cruse, it is timely to review Bereavement Care, an important element in the development of the organisation, in the context of other journals with similar aims. The background to the publication of Bereavement Care will be presented together with journals that contain a similar subject coverage. The way the journals are organised will be briefly explored as well as some of their most cited and the most-read papers. Commentary on the latest issue of these journals will be provided along with reflection on other sources of bereavement literature. Some suggestions for future topics are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are an estimated 300,000 Romany Gypsies and Travellers resident in Britain. Policy enactments and a decline in stopping places have impacted these ethnic minorities’ cultural tradition of nomadism, leading to significant socioeconomic challenges and rapid cultural change in recent decades. Additionally, Gypsies and Travellers face significant health inequalities, including a reduced life expectancy of between 10–12 years compared to ‘mainstream’ populations. Further, considerably higher levels of suicide, maternal and infant mortality, miscarriage and stillbirth are reported. Membership of close-knit and large extended families means that bereavement experiences are common from an early age. Unresolved grief from multiple bereavements can have long-term health implications, including depression, anxiety, and increases in risk-taking behaviours such as alcohol and substance misuse. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature illustrated by quotes from a from a recently completed study that examines the bereavement support needs of Gypsies and Travellers and best practice for organisations seeking to support these ‘hard to reach’ populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper outlines a day-long group intervention for children over the Christmas period who have experienced the loss of a family member. Christmas can be a painful time for children and families as intense feelings of grief may emerge and can be difficult to manage. Group interventions with bereaved children have been demonstrated to be effective and a group intervention was developed that encouraged Christmas to be seen as a time for remembrance, enjoyment and for the development of coping skills. The content and structure of the group is described. Findings from evaluations are reported and issues about the intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This document provides a comprehensive list of art exhibitions and galleries in Victoria, Australia. It includes information about the locations, contact details, and exhibition dates for each gallery. The exhibitions feature a diverse range of artists and artistic styles, covering themes such as nature, identity, culture, and social issues. The document aims to promote public access to these exhibitions and encourage diverse audiences to engage with the arts. [Extracted from the article]

Memorials to the dead on the world wide web are increasing in number and variety. Each venue comes with its own advantages and drawbacks. This paper is a first exploration of how the formats of three frequently used venues (web cemeteries, webrings and social networking sites) affect the experience of web memorialisation – both for those who created the memorials and their visitors. Although all web memorials can benefit the bereaved, format affects: control over the narrative, number and type of visitors, and the ways that visitors interact with the site and each other. It is hoped that the issues raised in this paper will be considered both in the design of new sites and in guiding the bereaved to existing venues that best meet their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An excerpt from the book "Cool White Sap" by Si-Min Chong, exploring sound's journey through the forest and the enigmatic presence of a girl, touching on themes of origin and perception amidst the forest's mysterious landscape.

The article focuses on the complexities of mourning and the significance of private rituals in the face of personal loss. Topics include the author's experience of losing their father, the parallels drawn between personal grief and collective tragedies, and the historical context of mourning rituals from Sophocles' "Antigone" to ancient Viking burial practices, contemplating the intersection of private loss and collective grief.

CRIME SHOWS ABOUND - BUT FEW SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF HUMAN NUANCE DAVID HYDE PIERCE BRINGS NEW LIFE TO PAUL CHILD IN JULIA ALINE MORPHS THE LIFE OF CÉLINE DION INTO A SURREAL SPECTACLE IN MARCH 2019, THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE PUBlication of Ocean Vuong's novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, he called his agent from the hallway of a Hartford, Conn., hospital. Vuong, who lives in Northampton, Mass., with his partner Peter, went to see her and took her back to the ER; this time, doctors ran tests and returned with a diagnosis: Stage IV breast cancer. VUONG BEGAN WRITING the poem he calls "the spine" of Time Is a Mother, "Dear Rose", after finishing the third draft of his novel, partly because it felt important to him to return to poetry. Ashamed to return home emptyhanded, Vuong worked in a café, slept on friends' couches, spent his free hours at the New York Public Library, and enrolled at Brooklyn College to study literature. [Extracted from the article]

A key challenge for service providers and practitioners in the field of bereavement is to match clients’ varied needs with equally diverse approaches to care. In order to provide these appropriate and effective interventions, it is crucial to have a reliable means of assessing levels of vulnerability in bereaved clients. The Range of Response to Loss model (RRL) and Adult Attitude to Grief scale (AAG) have evolved as practice tools able to profile the variable nature of client grief by identifying the initially instinctive reactions to loss alongside more aware coping responses. This paper describes the theoretical concepts which underpin the AAG, and recent research which confirms the factor structure of the scale and its capacity to identify varied levels of vulnerability. The application of the AAG to practice as an assessment/ outcome tool and guide to intervention are set out and future developments such as potential inclusion in the CORE IMS discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What would the other Tom have been, the one who didn't become an Englishman?" Even as Lee casts Stoppard as a figure conflicted about his Czech and Jewish identities, his self-conscious triumph as a born-again Englishman (or, as he wryly put it, a "bounced Czech") is far more pronounced throughout most of his life. The BOOKS & ARTS TOM STOPPARD HAS LONG BEEN AVERSE TO weaving material lines a 19th-century about into that explicitly himself his one liberal plays, of would his autobiographical so more literary be it's voiced revealing only critic. In the midst of all this self-referential play, Stoppard was also working on a novel and, increasingly, plays, since those were faster to write. Stoppard's latest play, Leo-poldstadt, which ran for a month on London's West End before the Covid-19 pandemic caused it to close (it reopened for a 12-week run this past August), is an intriguing departure from writing about writing and plays within plays. [Extracted from the article]

Bereavement can be a distressing experience and the importance of bereavement support has been recognised in policy and practice for many years. This rapid evidence assessment was undertaken to evaluate the provision and effectiveness of bereavement support in the United Kingdom (UK) and to identify gaps in service provision and areas of need with regard to bereavement services. The main finding of the review was that the provision of bereavement support is extremely varied and there is no conclusive evidence for its effectiveness. There is widespread recognition of the potentially negative impact of bereavement on people, and a plethora of recommendations focused on raising awareness and ameliorating these effects have been made. However, the evidence for how best to support people experiencing bereavement is limited and contested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with professor Robert Neimeyer, one of the Western world's leading researchers, clinicians and educators in psychological approaches is presented. Topics discussed include his views on how she decided to make a career in the field of psychology; his thoughts on a paper in which he described a father traumatized by his daughter's death while she was travelling abroad; and the information he shared about the AfterTalk website.

The article presents the discussion on spirit must be appeased with public mourning. Topics include no difficulty shedding tears with endless delegations marching up to him under the paga, the ceremonial pole; and artificial intelligence is, as the name suggests, artificial and fundamentally different to human intelligence.

In this paper we argue that anatomical pathology technologists (APTs) have been overlooked as a key group of healthcare practitioners who play a role in bereavement care. Drawing on an ethnographic case study of a mortuary team in a large urban hospital, we examine the technical and emotional components of the APT role, including how the concept of patient care is utilised in the mortuary. We argue that their work with other healthcare practitioners and professionals illustrates how APTs offer a ‘bridge’ between the immediacy of a death, after-death care and subsequent viewing of the deceased person, thereby providing a vital and under-acknowledged service for bereaved people. We conclude that through education and the promotion of mortuary activities APTs are developing a ‘community of practice’ that moves beyond an outdated perception of ‘dirty work’ towards a more enlightened vision of mortuary settings and APTs as important components of hospital-based bereavement care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diagnosis of advanced stage cancer is a difficult life event for the entire family. Previous studies have demonstrated the negative psychosocial outcomes associated with the burden of caregiving in conjunction with dysfunctional family relations. Family Focused Grief Therapy (FFGT) is a time-limited intervention that has been shown to be effective in aiding dysfunctional families through the promotion of family functioning, communication, cohesiveness, and conflict management. This paper outlines the content of FFGT therapy and highlights its unique aspects as well as the challenges of providing therapy to different types of families in the context of palliative care. FFGT shows promise as an effective intervention applicable across multiple settings in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an exploration of alternative approaches to thinking about grief, this paper raises fundamental questions about the nature of grief. Is grief one thing or many? Can we theorize about grief in ways that better take into account its complex tangle of feelings and thoughts, its ambiguity, its differences across people, its changes over time, and the diverse ways in which different people talk about their bereavement? Can we capture the sensitivity of the qualitative researcher and the clinician in conceptualizing the grieving of a particular individual and the diversity of grieving across individuals? In the dialogue, ‘grief’ is discussed as an ‘ontological metaphor’ as opposed to a real reality. Questions are raised about how to theorize about the grief of people who use particular metaphors in talking about their grieving, and two examples are explored, the metaphor of the hole and the metaphor of the journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on PhD research that investigated parental experience of stillbirth. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 10 couples and 12 mothers, it argues that while the experience of stillbirth is, to some extent, a stigmatising one – parents recount feeling like failures and report social difficulties after the loss (Murphy, 2009) – there are positives that may be taken from the experience. These, however, are more likely to emerge in the medium and longer term. Far from being ‘passive victims of prejudice’ (Shih, 2004), some parents may be empowered to take action to improve local and, in some cases, national maternity services, as well as raising people's awareness of stillbirth and breaking the silence that surrounds it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the significance of virtual space to the bereaved, as a site of remembrance and focus for mourning practices and expression of emotions. It is argued that in the countries of the developed north west, such as the UK, where a high proportion of the population are computer literate and are used to working with and communicating through virtual technology, such as social networking sites, the internet has been established as a normal place for remembering the dead. Remembrance is in part shaped by typical net practices and terminology, as well as by the technological possibilities of the internet, which, combined, accommodate ongoing uploading and editing of images, text, music and gifts. This gives these memorials a vibrant and dynamic contemporary character which is often expressed through colloquial idiom and popular culture, thereby representing and constituting aspects of the vernacular. Some social networking sites and more formal memorial hosts, such as commercial or charitable sites, place constraints on how online memorials are organised and what might be included, but the majority retain an emphasis on the deceased as an individual, and attempt to reflect their character, interests and relationships. The vernacular qualities of virtual memorials facilitate interaction with the memorials, which can constitute therapeutic environment for mourners through providing space for action, narrative work, meaning-making, expressions and negotiations of continuing bonds with the deceased, and virtual support networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a study of bereaved parents’ experiences of their return to the workplace following the death of a child to suicide. Six mothers and five fathers aged 44–57 were interviewed about the support provided to them and what they would have found helpful. Their responses suggest organisations need to be more proactive in offering support to traumatically bereaved employees. Organisations should have formal bereavement protocols and policies in place, including access to a named member of staff, and ensure that managers and workers receive training in bereavement awareness and how to support colleagues. Training programmes should be co-delivered or informed by people with personal experience of traumatic bereavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmarried partners of soldiers who have died on active duty in Israel have traditionally been excluded from the recognised ‘family of bereaved’. They may be seen as a distinct group of disenfranchised mourners. A non-government organisation (The Amuta) was created in 1997 to provide emotional support, counselling, and remembrance ceremonies to these young men and women. The support offered aims both to acknowledge their loss and help them plan for the future. This paper reports the findings from a small-scale quantitative study of the experiences of some of the people who have sought help from The Amuta. The model of care it describes may be helpful to people bereaved in similar situations in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on a qualitative study of adults bereaved during childhood as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland to argue that bereavement interventions must address their individual, local community and wider social and political contexts if they are to be of any help. The article reviews the literature on traumatic bereavement, complex grief and resilience and on Northern Ireland and the effects of the Troubles. It uses excerpts from the interviews conducted in the original study to support its argument. It also highlights the need to be aware of continuing changes in the political and social context, such as the Northern Ireland peace process, and the effects these may have on individuals’ ability to resolve their grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bereavement services, in common with all health, social care and counselling programmes and interventions, are increasingly required to demonstrate their clinical and cost effectiveness. This paper describes the main ethical and practical issues raised for one service (a hospice-based bereavement support service), and how they were overcome. It offers advice to other organisations and researchers on important aspects of the process, including the need to ensure good relationships with staff and professional supervision and support for the researcher. It also challenges the common view that participation in research may be harmful for bereaved people. Participants in this survey welcomed the chance to talk about their feelings, and to make a contribution to furthering understanding of the bereavement experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have seen a shift in the focus of bereavement research from the mental and physical health consequences of bereavement to the exploration of the protective qualities that help people cope with loss. In this paper Margaret Stroebe reviews the literature produced by both camps and concludes that the pendulum may have swung too far. The literature indicates that the vast majority of bereaved people are, indeed, resilient and will cope without intervention. But policy-makers and health and social care practitioners need also to know that bereavement is associated with excess risk of early death and physical and psychological health problems. Psycho-social intervention should focus on such 'at-risk' groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philip's close friend Playing opposite Imelda in the role of Prince Philip is Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce. Australian star Elizabeth Debicki steps into Diana's shoes for this season and, like Imelda, threw herself into a mountain of research material to live and breathe Diana's world. Up front Imelda Staunton first began what she lovingly calls her "homework" back in 2019. When Dominic West, who plays Prince Charles, turned up for his first camera test he was also blown away by Elizabeth's Diana. [Extracted from the article]

PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) The pair were just settling into newlywed life and had welcomed their first son, Charles, in 1948 and daughter Anne in 1950 when everything changed: On Feb. 6, 1952, while Elizabeth and Philip were on tour in Kenya, Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died of lung cancer at age 56, making Elizabeth Queen. PHOTO (COLOR): 1977 PHOTO (COLOR): 1982 PHOTO (COLOR): 1985 PHOTO (COLOR): 1986 PHOTO (COLOR): 1992 PHOTO (COLOR): 1995 PHOTO (COLOR): 2002 PHOTO (COLOR): 2005 PHOTO (COLOR): Her Final DutyAs she awaited Prime Minister Truss at Balmoral Castleon Sept. 6, the Queen was "very smiley … in good spirits", says photographer Jane Barlow. PHOTO (COLOR): 1952 PHOTO (COLOR): 1962 PHOTO (COLOR): 1977 PHOTO (COLOR): 1983 PHOTO (COLOR): 1990 PHOTO (COLOR): 2002 PHOTO (COLOR): 2016A Century of StyleQueen Elizabeth's colorful wardrobe was very deliberate. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses artworks that depicted maternal death among women in Scotland. Topics covered include various forms of memorials dedicated to women who experienced childbed death like gravestones, stained glass windows, and posthumous portraits, functions of memorials in addressing problems linked to childbed deaths among women, and the role of memorials in depicting personal and individual aspects of maternal death and its associated grief.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich explores the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown on Hindu death ceremonies and mourning rituals in India. The study examines how these rituals have been renegotiated, modified, and reinterpreted in different regions of India. The researchers highlight the challenges faced by mourners due to the substitution of traditional rituals with new guidelines for the disposal of deceased COVID-19 patients. The inability to grieve collectively during important ceremonies has significant cultural and emotional consequences. The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on Christian Martinez and his influence to the residents from Booker T. Washington Terraces housing project in Austin City, Texas. Topics discussed include the crimes of drug dealing and gang activities committed by Christian and his neighborhood friends, the car accident which led to Christian's death, and the impact of that tragedy to the residents which helped them change their life for the better.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of bereavement with the sudden death of her husband in May 2019.

The article depicts the personal traumas of several people along with their photographs and mentions how they handle their worst situations. Topics discussed include fighting with a rare autoimmune disease Scleroderma, killings based on skin color, gender, religion, or the race in the U.S., and police brutality faced by Black people in the U.S.

The article informs the optimists are becoming more confident in the economy due to better-than-expected reports on the jobs market, retail sales, and housing market. It mentions the data also shows that inflation is proving more persistent than anticipated, and pricing pressures remain despite the Federal Reserve's promise of interest rate hikes.