Author/Authors :
Bildik, T Ege Üniversitesi - Tıp Fakültesi - Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Turkey
Abstract :
It is widely recognized that the death of a loved one is a painful experience for an individual. Every person is unique, and thus there will be many individual differences in grief. The nature of the experience and the grieving process varies among individuals, depending on such variables as the person’s age, the person’s relationship with the lost individual, and the characteristics of the death. There are two major categories of death experiences: uncomplicated and complicated grief. Uncomplicated grief is defined as the normal grieving process when one experiences the loss of a significant relationship. Complicated bereavement is the intensification of grief to a level such that the person feels overwhelmed or resorts to maladaptive behaviour. In this instance, the person remains interminably in a state of grief without progression of the mourning process towards completion. Bereaved individuals experience major physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. However, bereaved persons who have adequately completed the grief process do not appear to be at risk of later mental illness. In complicated bereavement, there is a heightened risk for later development of significant psychopathology, especially traumatic grief. Risk factors for complicated grief are chronic illness, multiple losses, unresolved grief from prior losses, and dying with pain and suffering. Grief treatment includes normalizing the grief process, actualizing the loss, facilitating living without the deceased, and identifying and expressing feelings.
