25. THEORIES OF GRIEF AND MOURNING

Question 1

1. Who developed the Theory of the Five Stages of Grief?

Answer 1

• Elisabeth Kübler- Ross
• she did this in the year of 1969
• she originally developed this theory for patients with
  terminal illnesses who were facing death

Question 2

2. What are the 5 Stages of Grief?

Answer 2

1. Denial
   Denial of the passing
   (numbness, disbelief, isolation)
2. Anger
   (anger at the death)
   (why has this happened??)
   (anger at the lost opportunities)
3. Bargaining
   (this stage arises from guilt)
   (it involves many “what if” questions)
4. Depression
   (Despair)
5. Acceptance
   (this is where the grief finally starts to ease up)
   (people come to terms with their new reality)

Question 3

3. Are the stages of grief predictable?

Answer 3

• no
• they are not linear
• they may repeat

Question 4

4. Who came up with the Dual Process Model of Grief?
   When did they do this?

Answer 4

• Maggie Stroebe
• Henk Schut
• they did this in 1999

Question 5

5. What does the Dual Process Model of Grief place emphasis on?

Answer 5

• it emphasises the dynamic processes of Grieving
• it emphasises that Grief involves movement back and
  forth between Loss Oriented and Restoration Oriented
  coping

Question 6

6. What are some characteristics of Loss Oriented Coping?

Answer 6

• there is much grief work
• there is an intrusion of grief
• relinquishing bonds with others in your life
• or continuing bonds with others in your life
• or relocating bonds with others in your life
• denial and avoidance of restoration changes

Question 7

7. What are some characteristics of Restoration Oriented Coping?

Answer 7

• attending to life changes
• doing new things
• distracting yourself from grief
• denial and avoidance of grief
• taking up new roles and identities
• developing new relationships

Question 8

8. What are Traditional Grief theories focused on?

Answer 8

• Letting go

Question 9

9. What do Newer Grief theories take into account?

Answer 9

• they recognise how frequently adaptive the role of
  maintaining a continuing bond with the deceased is
• there is a shift from severing the bond
  TO focusing on maintaining the bond

Question 10

10. With newer grief theories, what is their focus placed
    on?

Answer 10

• they focus on how to change connections
• this allows you to hold the relationship in a new
  perspective
  (it does not focus on how to separate this relationship
  with the deceased)
• there is an expanding focus on cognition and meaning
• there is a focus on emotion and Post Traumatic
  Growth

Question 11

11. What do Newer Grief theories challenge?

Answer 11

• they challenge the concept of an Endpoint in grieving
• they focus on finding meaning instead

Question 12

12. How is the health of those who have lost someone
    (bereaved) compromised?

Answer 12

• they are more likely to suffer from a mental illness
• they are more likely to suffer from a physical illness
• they have higher rates of:
  - medication use
  - disability
  - hospitalisation
• they are more likely to die