Bereavement and grief
Normal grief
- Normal reaction to loss (bereavement)
- Sadness more specific to thoughts of the deceased
- ”Waves” of grief at reminders
- Self-esteem usually preserved
- Functional decline less severe
- Thoughts of dying involve wish to join the deceased; active suicidality uncommon
- Intensity decreases over time
- Illusions or hallucinations of the deceased (considered normal if the individual does not believe that they are real)
- This is normal in children. Children under age 6 do not understand the finality of death and may believe that it is temporary or reversible.
Persistent complex bereavement disorder
- Definition: a mental disorder characterized by an unusually prolonged period of grief and/or mourning (lasting at least 12 months in adults and 6 months in children) resulting in severe distress and functional impairment.
End-of-life counseling
SPIKES protocol
The SPIKES protocol is a set of recommendations to help practitioners communicate bad news to patients.