Grief and Coping (Psychology) Flashcards
5 risk factors for complicated grief
- Circumstances surrounding death. Sudden death, violent death, excluded from knowing, multiple losses in a short time or over their lifetime
- Individual circumstances. History of complicated grief, separation anxiety, intellectual disability
- Lack of social support or routine
- Secretive quality to lost relationship/disenfranchised (can’t be acknowledged)
- Complicated relationship with the deceased
What constitutes complicated grief?
Interferes with daily life
Longing preoccupation
Prolonged or absent grief
Prolonged if more than 6 months
Loss still central in life at 12 months
5 stages of grief (Elisabeth Kubler Ross)
Denial
Anger/Blame
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
What is the new focus in regards to grief?
Maintaining and nurturing a bond with the deceased
That there is no set endpoint for grief
Cognition and meaning important
What is the dual process model?
Grieving is not a linear process
Dynamic interplay between loss oriented and restorative processes
Loss oriented = talking about the person and loss, crying
Restoration oriented = returning to work, spending time with friends, hobbies
Emphasises that there is no right or wrong way to grieve and the importance of being able to switch and find balance between the two in order to grieve successfully
Definition of loss
Separation or deprivation of an emotional attachment
Definition of grief
Normal reaction to loss
Definition of bereavement
Loss of a significant individual through death
Mourning
A part of grief. Adaptation to loss, cultural and social rituals
Definition of coping
The act of trying to manage perceived demands that lead to stress responses
What are the two traits for coping?
Avoidant
Approach
What are the two focuses in coping?
Problem focus - attempt to control, confront or avoid
Seek info, goal set
Emotional focus - seeking support, distancing or distracting, or denial and suppression of thoughts
Describe Erikson’s stages of development
Model of psychosocial development/lifespan development model
Each stage is characterised by a specific conflict or challenge that must be resolved and successfully navigated.
Resolution establishes traits that help us later in life
Infancy: Trust vs mistrust
Toddler: Autonomy vs doubt
Adolescence: Identity vs role confusion
Young adult:: Intimacy vs isolation
Late adult: Integrity vs despair
Emphasises the importance of environmental and social factors in shaping human development
According to Erikson, which key qualities are important to an adults success
Sense of identity
Capacity for intimacy
Experience of generativity
Acquisition of integrity
What are some examples of adaptive coping?
Decreasing demands e.g informing employers, less working hours
Increasing resources e.g CBT, support networks, financial aid
Dampening stress responses through hobbies, exercise
Psychological interventions e.g goal setting, counselling, CBT
