Bereavement Lecture Powerpoint

Question 1

__% of people grieve without need for professional intervention

Answer 1

90%

Question 2

Bereavement

Answer 2

Reaction to loss of a close relationship often thru mourning (psychological process of undoing bonds to the deceased)

Question 3

Anticipatory grief

Answer 3

Grieving that begins when an individual is made aware of impending death, thought to allow person to prepare psychologically for death and ease adaptation after death

Question 4

Normal reaction to loss

Answer 4

• despair
• agitation
• anger at person/god/caregivers
• guilt

Usually becomes less intense over time around 6 months but variable depending on circumstance (young vs old, suicide vs illness)

Question 5

5 stages of grief

Answer 5

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

Question 6

Risk factors for complicated or abnormal bereavement (4)

Answer 6

• poor social support
• unanticipated death or lack of preparation
• history of psychiatric problems
• dependent lifestyle with the deceased

Question 7

Symptoms of complicated grief

Answer 7

Persistence for at least 6 months of disruptive emotional reactions including yearning, difficulty moving on, numbness, bitterness, etc.

Question 8

Why is complicated grief a concern? (3)

Answer 8

• Higher rates of morbidity/mortality
• higher healthcare utilization
• impaired immune function and substance use

Question 9

Follow up recommendations for complicated grief (5)

Answer 9

• send condolences
• encourage them to maintain regular lifestyle activities
• encourage crying
• short term counseling/support group
• short term prescription anti anxiety

Question 10

Grief over the lifespan

Answer 10

1) Infants and toddlers - don’t understand time or death but do feel absence of caretakers and can sense distress if routine is broken
2) preeschoolers - no understanding of death, may associate grief with something they’ve done
3) 7-12 understand death as permanent but can’t understand spiritual issues
4) adolescents understand death and may have spiritual or forward projection worries