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Brain Research Bulletin Jul 2023Bereavement is a common human experience that often involves significant impacts on psychological, emotional and even cognitive functioning. Though various psychological... (Review)
Review
Bereavement is a common human experience that often involves significant impacts on psychological, emotional and even cognitive functioning. Though various psychological theories have been proposed to conceptualize the grief process, our current understanding of the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of grief is limited. The present paper proposes a neurocognitive model to understand phenomena in typical grief, which links loss-related reactions to underlying learning and executive processes. We posit that the competitive relationship between the basal ganglia (BG) and circuitry involving the medial temporal lobe (MTL) underlies common cognitive experiences in grief such as a sense of "brain fog." Due to the intense stressor of bereavement, we suggest that these two systems' usually flexible interactive relationship become imbalanced. The resulting temporary dominance of either the BG or the MTL system is then manifested in perceived cognitive changes. Understanding the underlying neurocognitive mechanism in grief could inform ways to best support bereaved individuals.
Topics: Humans; Grief; Bereavement; Learning; Cognition
PubMed: 37172799
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110663 -
Journal of Pediatric Nursing 2022Sibling bereavement is one of the most distressing adverse life events during childhood but has received less attention in research than other forms of childhood... (Review)
Review
PROBLEM
Sibling bereavement is one of the most distressing adverse life events during childhood but has received less attention in research than other forms of childhood bereavement. This integrative review identifies potential risk and protective factors for maladaptive coping following sibling bereavement and the influence of these factors on adjustment to loss.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Articles were limited to peer-reviewed studies, published in English in 2000 and beyond. Target population was bereaved siblings 0-18 years, and outcomes examined grief experiences by child self-report or parent-proxy report.
SAMPLE
The Whittemore and Knafl integrative framework was applied. Multidimensional Grief Theory guided the review with twenty-five studies synthesized across its domains: Separation Distress, Existential/Identity Crisis, and Circumstance-Related Distress.
RESULTS
Adjustment following sibling death is a complex process associated with a host of risk and protective factors that contribute to the bereavement process for this population. Age, sex, circumstance-related factors, continuing bonds, parental distress, and limited social support were critical influencing factors.
CONCLUSION
Definitive predictor variables were not identified but a combination of variables that influence the adjustment of bereaved siblings are discussed.
IMPLICATIONS
Future research is needed to explore the risk and protective factors of maladaptive coping to inform intervention development to promote individual and family adjustment following sibling death.
Topics: Bereavement; Child; Grief; Humans; Parents; Siblings; Social Support
PubMed: 35660123
DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2022.05.006 -
Nursing Children and Young People Jan 2022Parental death in childhood is a traumatic event and, as a consequence, bereaved children can be at an increased risk of developing mental health issues in adulthood.... (Review)
Review
Parental death in childhood is a traumatic event and, as a consequence, bereaved children can be at an increased risk of developing mental health issues in adulthood. This article details an extended literature review that was undertaken to explore the effects of early parental death on bereaved children's mental health and identifies implications for healthcare practice. Several electronic databases were searched and eight articles were selected for inclusion in this review. Four themes were identified from the literature: child's age at parental death; cause of parental death; type of parental death; and cascading circumstances. Increased exposure to other adverse circumstances after a parent's death can also predispose an individual to psychopathology in adulthood, so such circumstances can serve as indicators of the potential effects on children's future mental health outcomes.
Topics: Adult; Bereavement; Child; Grief; Humans; Mental Health; Parental Death; Parents
PubMed: 34278749
DOI: 10.7748/ncyp.2021.e1387 -
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management Mar 2022Globally, people most often die within hospitals. As such, healthcare providers in hospitals are frequently confronted with dying persons and their bereaved relatives. (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
Globally, people most often die within hospitals. As such, healthcare providers in hospitals are frequently confronted with dying persons and their bereaved relatives.
OBJECTIVES
To provide an overview of the current role hospitals take in providing bereavement care. Furthermore, we want to present an operational definition of bereavement care, the way it is currently implemented, relatives' satisfaction of receiving these services, and finally barriers and facilitators regarding the provision of bereavement care.
METHODS
An integrative review was conducted by searching four electronic databases, from January 2011 to December 2020, resulting in 47 studies. Different study designs were included and results were reported in accordance with the theoretical framework of Whittemore and Knafl (2005).
RESULTS
Only four articles defined bereavement care: two as services offered solely post loss and the other two as services offered pre and post loss. Although different bereavement services were delivered the time surrounding the death, the follow-up of bereaved relatives was less routinely offered. Relatives appreciated all bereavement services, which were rather informally and ad-hoc provided to them. Healthcare providers perceived bereavement care as important, but the provision was challenged by numerous factors (such as insufficient education and time).
CONCLUSION
Current in-hospital bereavement care can be seen as an act of care that is provided ad-hoc, resulting from the good-will of individual staff members. A tiered or stepped approach based on needs is preferred, as it allocates funds towards individuals-at-risk. Effective partnerships between hospitals and the community can be a useful, sustainable and cost-effective strategy.
Topics: Bereavement; Family; Grief; Hospice Care; Hospitals; Humans
PubMed: 34695567
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.10.008 -
Current Opinion in Psychology Feb 2024Bereavement is a common and often challenging experience in late life. Evidence shows that while many older adults manage to adjust well and demonstrate resilience in... (Review)
Review
Bereavement is a common and often challenging experience in late life. Evidence shows that while many older adults manage to adjust well and demonstrate resilience in response to the death of a close person, bereavement puts a substantial minority at risk of adverse mental and physical health impacts including mortality. Current research further indicates that 1) this is the case across different countries and cultures across the globe; 2) that the COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for coping with late-life bereavement; 3) that loneliness and social isolation among bereaved older adults tend to be prevalent and harmful, particularly under pandemic but also in nonpandemic circumstances; and, recently, 4) that bereavement may be a risk factor for cognitive decline in this population.
Topics: Female; Humans; Aged; Pandemics; Widowhood; Bereavement; Grief; Loneliness
PubMed: 38071788
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101748 -
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare... 2023The loss of a companion animal results in millions of pet owners grieving annually. To date, little information has been synthesized on the grief response and coping... (Review)
Review
The loss of a companion animal results in millions of pet owners grieving annually. To date, little information has been synthesized on the grief response and coping mechanisms of bereaved pet owners. The aim of this review was to examine the relationship between pet loss and owner grief response. Major themes included: factors that influence the grief response, the disenfranchised nature surrounding pet loss, ambiguous pet loss and coping mechanisms used. Across the 48 studies included in this review, bereaved pet owners frequently reported feelings of embarrassment and loneliness following the loss of their pet. Types of coping mechanisms used by bereaved pet owners were identified and included: isolation, social support, continuing bonds, memorialization, religion, and relationships with other animals. Overall, this review was able to identify a consensus among the literature that bereaved pet owners are likely to experience disenfranchisement surrounding their loss. Based on the present findings, suggestions for future research include a focus on the effectiveness of coping mechanisms used by bereaved pet owners.
Topics: Animals; Bereavement; Grief; Adaptation, Psychological
PubMed: 34096419
DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2021.1934839 -
Japan Journal of Nursing Science : JJNS Jan 2022Death is a frequent event in the emergency department, and many family members experience grief and bereavement. However, little is known about what families experience.... (Review)
Review
AIM
Death is a frequent event in the emergency department, and many family members experience grief and bereavement. However, little is known about what families experience. The aim of this study was to explore previous findings about families' experiences of grief and bereavement in the emergency department to clarify and understand their experience.
METHODS
A scoping review was chosen as the design for this research. Studies were searched from four electronic databases. The obtained studies were screened independently by two reviewers and selected by mutual agreement of the entire team based upon the eligibility criteria. All relevant data were extracted, and thematic analysis was conducted to assess families' grief and bereavement experiences in the emergency department.
RESULTS
The database searches initially resulted in 982 studies; these were finally narrowed to 20 studies for data extraction. Publication years ranged from 1987 to 2020. The studies were conducted across nine countries; most were from the United States and had a qualitative research design. Analysis elicited the following themes: "lack of information," "breaking bad news," "being present during resuscitation," "chaotic environment," "psychosocial reaction in bereavement," and "support and care needs from healthcare professionals."
CONCLUSION
These themes reveal challenges in providing support and care from emergency nurses to bereaved families, including inadequate provision of information, poor design of the emergency department due to the lack of privacy, and families' unmet support and care needs. Emergency nurses need to better understand families' experience of grief and bereavement.
Topics: Bereavement; Emergency Service, Hospital; Family; Grief; Humans; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 34490984
DOI: 10.1111/jjns.12451 -
American Journal of Critical Care : An... Jan 2022Losing a loved one in the intensive care unit is associated with complicated grief and increased psychologic distress for families. Providing bereavement support may...
BACKGROUND
Losing a loved one in the intensive care unit is associated with complicated grief and increased psychologic distress for families. Providing bereavement support may help families during this time. However, little is known about the bereavement experiences of families of patients in the cardiac intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the bereavement experiences of families of patients in the cardiac intensive care unit.
METHODS
In this secondary analysis, an exploratory, descriptive design was used to understand the families' bereavement experiences. Families from 1 cardiac intensive care unit in a tertiary medical center in the western United States participated. Audiotaped telephone interviews were conducted by using a semistructured interview guide 13 to 15 months after the patient's death. A qualitative, descriptive technique was used for data analysis. Two independent researchers coded the interview transcripts and identified themes.
RESULTS
Twelve family members were interviewed. The majority were female (n = 8, 67%), spouses (n = 10, 83%), and White (n = 10, 83%); the mean age (SD) was 58.4 (16.7) years. Five main themes emerged: (1) families' bereavement work included both practical tasks and emotional processing; (2) families' bereavement experiences were individual; (3) these families were resilient and found their own resources and coping mechanisms; (4) the suddenness of a patient's death influenced families' bereavement experiences; and (5) families' experiences in the intensive care unit affected their bereavement.
CONCLUSIONS
This study provided insight into the bereavement experiences of families of patients in the cardiac intensive care unit. These findings may be useful for professionals working with bereaved families and for cardiac intensive care units considering adding bereavement support.
Topics: Bereavement; Family; Female; Grief; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Male; Middle Aged; Professional-Family Relations; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 34972855
DOI: 10.4037/ajcc2022859 -
Omega Dec 2021The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of current memorialization practices and their influence on grief due to bereavement and to explore ways of... (Review)
Review
The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of current memorialization practices and their influence on grief due to bereavement and to explore ways of improving bereavement outcomes. The qualitative research design incorporated two phases, a scoping literature review, followed by in-depth interviews with eight service providers from the funeral, cemetery, and crematorium industries across Australia. The trend toward informal memorialization practices blurs the roles of community members and formal industry service providers. A public health approach to bereavement support that encompasses both groups is recommended as the most appropriate response to the evolving landscape. This approach focuses on building partnerships between industry service providers and other community organizations involved in end-of-life issues. We propose that reframing the role of formal industry service providers as educators and facilitators partnered within compassionate communities will support improved outcomes for the bereaved.
Topics: Bereavement; Cemeteries; Empathy; Grief; Humans; Social Support; Terminal Care
PubMed: 32070208
DOI: 10.1177/0030222820904877 -
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping May 2022The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement holds that bereaved people who respond flexibly to loss-oriented stressors (i.e., relating to the loss; to the deceased...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement holds that bereaved people who respond flexibly to loss-oriented stressors (i.e., relating to the loss; to the deceased person) and restoration-oriented stressors (i.e., secondary to loss; daily-life changes, taking on new roles) adapt better to bereavement. Despite growing interest in the Dual Process Model, systematic analyses of the prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of restoration-oriented stressors are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to chart restoration-oriented stressors and their relationship with post-loss adaptation.
DESIGN AND METHODS
A community sample of 181 bereaved adults (63% women) completed the 20-item expert-construed Restoration-Oriented Stressors Inventory (ROSI) and questionnaires assessing background characteristics, worry, and prolonged grief and depression symptoms.
RESULTS
Main findings were that younger people, and those who lost a parent, partner, or child (vs. other relationship) experienced more restoration-oriented stressors and appraised these as more stressful. Stressors' perceived stressfulness, but not their quantity, related positively to worry. Perceived stressfulness predicted prolonged grief and depression symptoms beyond background characteristics, worry, and the number of stressors.
CONCLUSION
Restoration-oriented stressors and their appraisal vary and relate to coping and post-loss mental health. Future research should clarify temporal interrelations between stressors, coping mechanisms, and outcomes.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Bereavement; Child; Female; Grief; Humans; Male; Parents; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34338103
DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2021.1957849