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This study explored the effectiveness of a counselling program in reducing the death anxiety and improving self-efficacy among a sample of female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan. The latter program is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. The sample consists from 22 female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus. The ages of those children range between 35 and 50 years. The study was carried out during the year 2020–2021. The chosen teachers were divided into two groups randomly (i.e. control and experimental groups). The experimental group consists from 11 teachers who were enrolled in the proposed counselling program that is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. This program consists from 16 sessions. The control group consists from 11 teachers who were not enrolled in the proposed counselling program. The death anxiety and self-efficacy scales were used before and after implementing the program. They were used after 4 weeks since the date of finishing the implementation of the program. The researchers found that there are significant differences – at the significance level of (a ≤ 0.05) – between the control and experimental groups in terms of the death anxiety and self-efficacy levels for the favour of the experimental group. The researchers found that there is a need to use this program due to the impact of this program on the experimental group after 1 month since the date of finishing the implementation of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In psychotherapy, ambivalence may be conceptualized as a conflict between two distinct motivations: one that is favorable to change (pro-change) and another that favors the maintenance of a problematic pattern (pro status quo). Previous studies identified two processes by which clients resolve this conflict: imposing the innovative part and silencing the problematic one (dominance), and establishing negotiations between the innovative and the pro status quo parts (negotiation). The present exploratory study examined ambivalence resolution in a sample of clients diagnosed with complicated grief. Results revealed that, in recovered cases, negotiation increases and dominance decreases from the beginning until the middle sessions of therapy and the opposite tendency is observed from the middle to the final sessions. Unchanged cases reveal an overall high proportion of dominance and an overall low proportion of negotiation. These results are partially divergent from those reported in previous studies with samples of clients diagnosed with major depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grief has seen developments in conceptualization and treatment over the course of 60 years. This paper provides an analysis of the historical developments in thanatology. While in the early 1900s, grief was viewed as a universal process of detachment and severing emotional connections from the deceased, literature has evolved to conceptualize grief from a sociocultural perspective, emphasizing the personal and social construction of meaning. By culminating knowledge of what we know and what we practice, the paper aims to explore steps that need to be taken in the field of grief work to account for the needs of diverse cultural backgrounds and support a healthy grieving process, especially after the mental health concerns due to complex grieving during the COVID-19 pandemic. By specifically discussing the importance of meaning-making in grief work, this paper will highlight the changes in grief conceptualization from an objective stagewise model to sociocultural frameworks of grief. Additionally, this paper will also discuss what counselor-education programs currently teach in alignment with new literature and offer suggestions on how programs can update education in trauma-informed care, particularly grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the parental grief process for married couples who have lost a child and the relationship challenges to cope with the loss. The death of a child is a shared experience unique to each couple that can result in the couple moving closer to each other; however, marital problems often develop with the loss of a child. The circumstances surrounding the death are a critical factor in the long-term outcome of parental grief and the strength of the marriage relationship. Effective dyadic coping skills are highlighted for understanding how couples cope with shared grief. I will examine parental loss and marital satisfaction through the lens of Attachment Theory and the Trauma Model. Since grief and loss are universal and a shared experience, many counselors will encounter grief issues in counseling sessions. Yet, grief training is not required in most counselor education programs. With training and experience, counselors can feel more comfortable and knowledgeable in working with grieving clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed as a two-group pre-test post-test comparative experimental study to examine the effects of grief counseling on perinatal grief levels in women who underwent pregnancy termination before discharge from the clinic. This study was conducted with 70 women who underwent medical termination of pregnancy. The intervention group (n = 35) received perinatal grief care, while the control group (n = 35) received only routine hospital care. In this study, the Introductory Information Form, Perinatal Grief Scale, and evaluation form of the care received were completed. While the perinatal grief level of the intervention group decreased after the application of grief care, a significant difference between the groups was detected only in women with a history of medical termination according to obstetric characteristics (p < .05). The findings obtained from this study showed that perinatal grief care support decreased grief scores on perinatal grief instruments and their sub-dimensions in the intervention group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amputation is the surgical removal of all or part of a body part. It demands an adjustment in almost every sphere of a person's life in addition to physical disability. An amputee faces problems in almost every psychosocial sphere. 1 , 2 Along with physical pain in the stump, patients may experience phantom sensations. 3 – 5 Patients may also grieve, feel depressed, and anxious 3 , 6 , 4 , 7 or have posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. 8 , 9 They may be apprehensive about their future plans and inconclusive regarding life challenges. Grief is one of the most common reactions to amputation, 10 , 1 , 7 but often gets neglected in intensive surgical units. 1 Many times, grief reactions are not resolved, turning into complicated grief or prolonged grief, leading to conditions like depression, anxiety, or even suicide. This article is about an attempt to help a patient initiate the grieving process for healthy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children of incarcerated parents may grieve this loss, yet perceptions of their grief are understudied. Using vignettes varying by age (adult/child) and grief response (prolonged/resilient), we examined differences between perceptions of adults and children grieving parental incarceration. Participants rated grief response appropriateness, comfort providing support, and grief therapy recommendations for the grieving person in the vignette. Participants perceived resilience as more appropriate than prolonged grief [F (1, 224) = 9.02, p = .003, η2 = .04]. Age did not predict outcomes. Recommending grief therapy was higher for prolonged grief, yet 53% of participants with resilient vignettes recommended the person should seek grief therapy, which is concerning given possible iatrogenic effects. Thus, laypeople may have stigma toward individuals grieving parental incarceration, regardless of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-method study advances knowledge regarding the practice of grief counseling in a sample of 171 university counseling center therapists. First, several components of therapists' self-reported work with grieving clients was assessed (e.g., training level, initial responses to a grieving client, principles applied in counseling, therapist comfort, and potential therapist issues related to counseling grieving clients). Second, grounded in the death competence model (Gamino & Ritter, 2012), predictors of perceived grief counseling skills were examined. Cognitive competence and emotional competence predicted perceived grief counseling skills, with training/experience being the most robust predictor. Notably, the participants in this study rarely received education regarding death, dying, and grieving in their graduate programs, and they indicated that their knowledge about grief counseling was insufficient. Moreover, the therapists' qualitative responses to a case vignette were lacking in many grief-specific domains. Future directions for training, research, and clinical work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plethora of research exists about death and dying, particularly with regard to the prescriptive strategy on how teachers should address death in their classrooms. However, there is a gap in the literature about teachers' perceived preparedness to discuss a student's death in their classrooms. The following qualitative study used focus groups to explore teachers' experiences with and beliefs about death, dying, coping, student death, and preparedness to address student death in the classroom. Data were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Themes and subthemes for all research questions are presented and explained; some themes explored include teachers' views of death, death versus dying, initial and long-term coping, difficulties in addressing student death, the teachers' role after a student's death, feelings of being prepared versus unprepared to address student death in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The delivery of public health policies may be in conflict with individualism. Objectives: To propose measures to ethically provide routine HIV testing services to persons visiting a funeral home. Research design: A document analysis of study documents and presentations made to an institutional review board. Participants and research context: Institutional review board members (both lay and professionals) and Study investigators attending an 'open session' where study investigators were invited to elaborate on some study procedures. Ethical considerations: Identities of all parties were anonymized. Findings: Opt-out approaches to HIV testing, grief counseling, relational ethics, and a modular consenting process were proposed to safeguard clients' autonomy. The golden-rule approach and protective empowering were suggested to protect clientele beneficence. Discussion and conclusion: It is possible to ethically provide universal HIV testing and counseling services among grieving populations in this setting; elsewhere, this should be contextualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate maternal grief after losing a child in relation to forgiveness and posttraumatic growth. A sample of 60 grieving mothers from Slovakia completed the following battery: The Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, a modified version of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. The results showed a negative association between forgiveness and grief and a strong positive association between forgiveness and posttraumatic growth, which was not moderated by the time elapsed since the loss. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 mothers. The data were analyzed through Consensual Qualitative Research to gain deeper understanding of forgiveness and posttraumatic growth experiences after the loss of a child. Categories and subcategories are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, death is a taboo subject in Chinese culture. However, very few studies examine the effects of death education program on the psycho-spiritual outcomes among Chinese patients. This article, reports on a quasi-experimental study on Chinese patients with chronic diseases who participated in a psycho-education group on positive death preparation. Findings revealed that participants in the intervention group (n = 81) reported significantly greater reduction in fear of death, death avoidance, greater increase in death acceptance, death preparation, tranquility and spiritual well-being at immediate post-intervention than the control group (n = 79). It is also found that levels of death-related fear and avoidance in the intervention group were significantly lower at 1-month follow-up when compared with baseline. This study challenges the assumption that Chinese people are not receptive to intervention that addresses issues of death and dying. Implications of conducting death education program among a culturally diverse population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dignity Therapy (DT) is an intervention designed to lessen existential suffering as death draws near. DT has a growing evidence base, with positive outcomes for patients and their family members; however, it is not yet widely available in community settings. The purpose of this project was to translate DT into clinical practice in a cancer center in the midwestern United States. DT was provided to 10 patients with metastatic cancer who completed baseline and post-intervention measures of depression, existential distress, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with the intervention. DT was found to be feasible and acceptable to the majority of patients and their families. DT outcomes will be presented, along with suggestions for clinicians who are interested in offering DT in their practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers suggestions for strengthening school-based grief support following an adolescent’s death. Such interventions must be considered within the context of: (a) development during adolescence; (b) the role of peers in adolescent development; and (c) the fact that an adolescent peer’s death is a non-normative life crisis in developed countries. Review of those three topics leads to an overview of death during adolescence; an exploration of adolescent bereavement, grief, and mourning; consideration of disenfranchised grief in relation to an adolescent peer’s death; and an integration of this foundational knowledge in supporting bereaved adolescents within a school setting. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Examination of the theory base for bereavement and loss is currently just beginning for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Yet, as life spans increase for individuals with ID, these adults experience more and more loss and bereavement events. Practitioners, especially grief counselors, are finding it increasingly critical for them to understand best practice principles for working with bereaved adults with ID in their daily work. Practitioners also are asked to guide families and care providers regarding grief and death education. This article provides counselors and other professionals with a review of existing bereavement intervention research for adults with ID. Practice recommendations are made on three levels: informal support; formal intervention; and community education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loss of a loved one carries serious consequences for the physical and emotional well-being of many of the bereaved. It is therefore not surprising that to mitigate the impact of loss and promote successful adaptation, various forms of grief therapy have been proposed. However, controversies about the effectiveness of bereavement interventions have arisen, in part because previous reviews have relied on small samples of studies, which makes drawing inferences about the evidence base for bereavement interventions precarious at best. Drawing on a recent comprehensive analysis of over 60 controlled studies, we attempt to offer a more definitive view, and we discuss moderators associated with more effective bereavement interventions. Finally, we conclude by considering several theoretically informed approaches that hold promise for the further refinement of evidence-based therapies for bereavement complications, and we suggest some future directions for grief research and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearing witness to grief is about accepting and experiencing suffering as an unavoidable aspect of loss. It also entails listening to and responding with clients in a way that affirms that their experiences have been heard and understood. This article describes a model for therapeutic engagement and intervention with grieving clients. The model is informed by contemporary grief and practice theories characterized by such qualities as emotional presence, reciprocity, responsiveness, empathic expression, and meaning making. Case examples from the author's research and practice experience illustrate how these qualities contribute to what she describes as translational relationships that lead to transformations in clients' self perceptions and assumptive worlds, and for some, to revived meaningfulness in a life changed by loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster analysis was performed on a diverse group of 69 non-clinical grievers whose loved ones died between 12-40 months prior to the study. Based on psychometric measures of both bereavement distress and growth, three distinct clusters emerged: High Grief (high distress-low growth; n = 16); High Growth (low distress-high growth; n = 32); and Low Impact (low distress-low growth; n = 21). Discriminant function analyses showed that the High Grief cluster differed robustly from the other two groups on several measures of grief adaptation and coping; the differences between the High Growth and Low Impact clusters were less pronounced. High Grief participants sought grief counseling significantly more often whereas the Low Impact grievers preferred medicinal help for symptoms if they sought any professional assistance at all. When High Growth participants sought counseling, they seemed to focus on growth-oriented dimensions rather than mere symptom relief. Of the 11 participants who sought grief counseling for their loss, 10 (91%) found the experience to be helpful. Findings are discussed in the context of meta-analytic studies of the effectiveness of grief counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the efficacy of a short-term, camp-based, trauma-focused grief intervention in reducing traumatic grief and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in parentally bereaved children. Method: For this nonequivalent comparison group study, 100 children were split into two groups, with one group serving as the immediate treatment group and the second group serving as the delayed treatment group. Results: The results were analyzed using chi-square, independent samples t tests, multiple and logistic regression and showed this short-term intervention to be followed by reduced traumatic grief and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Conclusions: The results are discussed in relation to current research on and practice with bereaved children as well as implications for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges confronting the bereaved are profound, often requiring them to re-establish a changed sense of self and world at the same time that they struggle with the emotional devastation of the loss and the reconstruction of their relationship to the deceased. In this article, two expert grief therapists reflect on the contributions that professional intervention can make to this effort, examining different sources of complication that can arise as a function of the nature of the loss, similarities and differences between grief work and trauma processing, the role of attachment security in predisposing to problematic or resilient courses of adaptation, and the use of specialized methods such as imaginative chair work with the deceased to foster the integration of loss n a healing way. They also reflect on the mixed evidence for the helpfulness of grief therapy, ultimately offering an affirmative view of its relevance for appropriately selected clients when the therapist is able to combine a specialized knowledge of bereavement with comprehensive psychotherapeutic training and an informed and humble recognition of the therapist's role in facilitating the process of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distress reverberates throughout the family during palliative care and bereavement, inviting consideration of a family-centered model of care. Targeting families thought to be "at risk" has merit. The Family Focused Grief Therapy model was tested in a randomized controlled trial of 81 families (353 individuals) and bereavement outcome is reported here for treatment completers compared to controls. There were no significant baseline differences between treatment completers and non-completers. Significant reduction in distress occurred at 13 months post death for the families completing treatment, with further improvements for the 10% of individuals most distressed at baseline. A preventive model of familycentered care applied to those at greatest risk is meritorious and in keeping with the aspirations of Cicely Saunders for improving the quality of hospice care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of grief in the workplace, this article explores elements of what constitutes a compassionate employer and how this aspect of service leadership can be enacted through a "vital listening." The different but interrelated aspects of vital listening which are presented frame a non-judgmental approach to avoid the potential for stigma and discrimination in the workplace, and to honor needs associated with the identity, worth and sense of belonging of the person being supported. In so doing, it builds on the work of Kellehear (2005). Material is used from three primary sources: Sendjaya's six dimensions of servant leadership (2005), Swami's eleven elements of compassionate leadership grounded in a matrix of Bolman and Deal's four leadership frames (2002) and the work of Bottomley and Tehan (2005), associated with the development of a "Best Practice Support Model" in the Australian workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a synopsis and synthesis of knowledge development about the phenomenon of grieving through research guided by the human becoming theory developed by Rosemarie Rizzo Parse. It emphasizes that grieving is a universal lived experience of health and quality of life. It also stresses that grieving is an experiential process of human becoming. It presents the results of five studies in which the phenomenological-hermeneutic research of Parse was applied.

Grieving people use metaphors to describe their experience of loss. Therapists can engage clients by using their metaphors in ways that facilitate grieving. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) contend that metaphors are more than figures of speech; metaphors structure the way we perceive, how we think and what we do. Reality is negotiated by means of metaphors. People who have lost significant others to death or divorce are forced to construct a new reality. In this article four metaphors are used to illustrate how a therapist can listen for metaphors and work with clients to explore, expand and rework their metaphors in ways that are helpful to them in their suffering. Several current approaches to using metaphors in grief therapy are reviewed. Recommendations are made for future development of models that take advantage of the considerable power of metaphors while avoiding their potential for harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grief support for relatives of patients in palliative care is recognized as a fundamental practice within palliative medicine. The aim of this research was to determine the nature and extent of grief support programs offered to relatives of patients in palliative care in Spain. A postal survey was carried out among members of the Spanish Society of Palliative Care. The members' names were obtained through the Society's 2000 Directory, which lists 160 different teams, of which 50% answered a questionnaire made up of 34 questions, some open-ended and others multiple choice. Results show that 88.6% of the services include grief support, that mainly emotional and one-to-one care is provided (92.4 and 89.9%, respectively), and that the number of psychologists and social workers in each team is limited. The risk factors most commonly taken into account by professionals are: absence of family support (36.92%) and the bereaved's case history (21.54%); while the most widely used diagnostic criteria for complicated bereavement are blame and depression (12.5 and 11.36%). In conclusion, it can be seen that bereavement services are not completely consolidated in Spain and there is a need for a greater variety of intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rather than focusing on a psychological perspective that emphasizes individual deficiencies in dealing with loss, we use a sociological perspective to guide both an understanding of and clinical work with grieving people. The use of deviance and anomie as theoretical and clinical tools is a natural progression of the work begun with Doka's (1989) introduction of the concepts disenfranchised grief and grieving rules. Our approach encourages both theorists and clinicians to rethink the use of terms such as "complicated," "abnormal," and "pathological" grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Florida Clergy End-of-Life Education Enhancement Project was a model program developed to provide an interdenominational and statewide model of clergy education on loss, grief, dying, and death. The authors describe the project including materials and curriculum as well as present data from the project's evaluation. Clergy and their partners in ministry responded enthusiastically to the project. As a whole, they reported higher levels of knowledge on end-of-life (EOL) issues at the conclusion of the training. Clergy and their ministerial teams also reported that they were better informed about the technical, procedural, medical, and legal issues that arise at the end of life and expressed the desire for subsequent training. The project indicates that clergy both recognize the need for additional training and are anxious to improve their abilities to minister to the dying and bereaved. The model presented here could easily be applied to local organizations such as hospices or denominational training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the importance of creating a school environment that supports the grief process of children. Information on grief process; Openness towards the grief process; Integration of grief process into the daily operation of the school.

Outlines the narrative approach to the problem state of inertia found in grief. Application of narrative approaches to the experiences of grief; Implications of the problem state of inertia to family nursing; Influence of inertia on one's life.

Discusses ancestor worship in Japan as a similar process of overcoming grief in the modern West. Ancestor worship as `sosen suhai' in Japanese term; Personal meanings of ancestor worship; Autonomy and dependence as cultural values in expressing griefs; Nature and location of the dead's spirits; Dynamics of grief in ancestor worship.

Determines whether memories of the deceased play active roles in the ongoing lives of survivors. Successful grief resolution; Investigation of the existence of inner representation of the deceased in the lives of the living; Definition of the nature of inner representation; Search for variables which may predict membership in representational categories.

Presents the results of a study which investigated the grief counseling services in the middle schools and high schools in the state of Mississippi. Selection of schools; Schools' responsibility of providing grief counseling services to students; Need for school administrators to provide or make available grief counseling services for students in the schools.

This study examines the effectiveness of two types of social work counseling services offered to battered women, using a comparative treatment groups design. One group of 10 battered women received standardized crisis intervention services followed by eight sessions of counseling based on a grief resolution orientation, whereas a second group of 10 clients received feminist-oriented counseling following crisis intervention. Participants were randomly assigned. Overall, the 20 battered women reported improved self-esteem self-efficacy, and more positive attitudes toward feminism. However, these improvements were found to have occurred primarily among the clients receiving grief-resolution-oriented counseling, not among those receiving feminist counseling. Areas for future research on social work practice in this area are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working with dreams is useful with grief and loss clients who present with dreams. Adlerian dream analysis is oneway of exploring dreams. It incorporates the life-style of the client. This case report demonstrates how Adlerian dream analysis was used with a client. Progress was noted in improved life-style once the client began to talk about her dream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the need for continuing to develop and apply original unitary healing modalities, suggested by nursing theorist Martha Rogers, in nursing practice. It looks at the role of critical care nursing in the science of unitary human beings. It cites examples of energy transformation that can be seen in the surroundings. It mentions the esoteric approach to grief healing.

Loss of any type is difficult. Death of a loved one is particularly disturbing. The process of mourning this loss is uniquely handled by individuals and families. Family counselors must be aware of the symptoms of grief expressed by their clients and help them through the necessary mourning process. This article provides a snapshot of a very complex process and offers current references for further reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]