Grief/Mourning/Bereavement

Question 1

Define loss

Answer 1

absence of an object, person, animal, position, ability
-meaning is determined by the individual sustaining the loss
-the strength of the relationship to what was lost

Question 2

Define grief

Answer 2

process of reacting to a loss: emotional/affective
-natural reaction to a loss (part of the healing process)
-when a special person dies, the relationship does not end, it changes

Question 3

Define mourning

Answer 3

is defined as the public display of grief
-emphasizes the external or public expressions of grief
-influences by one’s beliefs, religious practices, and cultural norms/context

Question 4

What is “normal grief”?

Answer 4

-comprises the majority of people’s experiences (80-90%)
-determined and must be understood within cultural, temporal, social, personal contexts
-normal grief is usually “self limited” but newer studies suggest that it can be longer than we previously thought

Question 5

Define anticipatory grief

Answer 5

the total set of cognitive, affective, cultural, and social reactions to expected death felt by the patient and family

Question 6

Define disenfranchised grief

Answer 6

the grief that persons experience when they incur a loss that is not or cannot be openly acknowledged, publicly mourned, or socially supported

Question 7

What is complicated grief/ prolonged grief disorder?

Answer 7

10-15% of grievers have severe reactions to the loss of a loved one that may need treatment such as counselling and medication

Question 8

What are the criteria of prolonged grief disorder?

Answer 8

a) the death of a person close to the bereaved at least 12 months previously
b) since the death, there has been a grief response characterized by intense yearning/longing for the deceased person or a preoccupation with thoughts or memories of the deceased person
c) 3 symptoms of the DSM5 clinically significant list
d) disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
e) duration of the bereavement reaction clearly exceeds expected social, cultural or religious norms
f) symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder

Question 9

What are the possible symptoms of the Prolonged Grief Disorder list?

Answer 9

-identity disorder (feeling as though part of oneself has died)
-marked sense of disbelief about the death
-avoidance of reminders that the person is dead
-intense emotional pain related to the death
-difficulty moving on with life
-emotional numbness
-feeling that life is meaningless
-intense loneliness

Question 10

What are the risk factors for prolonged grief?

Answer 10

-social isolation
-attachment insecurity
-anxiety
-experiencing a loss that is sudden and inexplicable

Question 11

What is the BRAT acronym?

Answer 11

Bereavement Risk Assessment Tool
-a tool for identifying caregivers at risk for bereavement maladjustment can intervene early to prevent long-term disability