Tuesday, April 28, 2009
One key text and one themed journal issue:
BOOK
Stroebe M, Hansson RO, Schut H, Stroebe W (eds)
Handbook of bereavement research and practice. Advances in theory and intervention.
American Psychological Association 2008
The table of contents, which includes many renowned researchers in this area, is available from:
http://books.apa.org/books.cfm?id=4318045&toc=yes
This is almost the equivalent of the the third edition of an edited book published by most of these authors. However, each title has had a slightly different name. The first was Handbook of bereavement (Cambridge University Press 1993), and the second was Handbook of bereavement research. Consequences, coping and care (American Psychological Association 2001)
THEMED JOURNAL ISSUE
One of our doctors spotted a themed issue on bereavement in Psychiatric Annals. It is on bereavement-related depression. (October 2008). Details are available at
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rid=32100
(The book is in the bookshop of St Christopher’s Hospice. We offer a copying service for articles. Email me: d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk
Stroebe M, Hansson RO, Schut H, Stroebe W (eds)
Handbook of bereavement research and practice. Advances in theory and intervention.
American Psychological Association 2008
The table of contents, which includes many renowned researchers in this area, is available from:
http://books.apa.org/books.cfm?id=4318045&toc=yes
This is almost the equivalent of the the third edition of an edited book published by most of these authors. However, each title has had a slightly different name. The first was Handbook of bereavement (Cambridge University Press 1993), and the second was Handbook of bereavement research. Consequences, coping and care (American Psychological Association 2001)
THEMED JOURNAL ISSUE
One of our doctors spotted a themed issue on bereavement in Psychiatric Annals. It is on bereavement-related depression. (October 2008). Details are available at
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rid=32100
(The book is in the bookshop of St Christopher’s Hospice. We offer a copying service for articles. Email me: d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk
Monday, February 09, 2009
A pack, a booklet, a book
CRUSE Bereavement Care
What to do following a death
Lawpack Publishing Ltd 2007
This Lawpack Kit, published in conjunction with CRUSE, contains information and advice to help bereaved people cope with both the administrative procedures and the emotions of bereavement following the death of a loved one. The information has been carefully compiled from reliable sources but there could be minor changes since publication. It includes ideas on how to prepare for a funeral.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Ethical framework for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy.
Revised edition.
BACP, 2007
This 16 page booklet provides key principles for anyone working with clients or supervising counselling services. It incorporates key values, ethical principles, personal moral qualities, guidance on good practice, providing a good standard of practice and care, working with colleagues, professional conduct procedure, dealing with complaints.
Machin Linda
Working with loss and grief
Sage 2009 £18.99
In the introduction, the author indicates she will use the metaphor of journey to describe and explore the experience of grief. She elaborates on the metaphor by conceptualising theory as a “compass” and a new practice model as a “map”. She is concerned with capturing aspects of the universal as well as the individual aspects of grief – and with exploring their complementary roles as one helps bereaved people with their losses.
Chapter headings include Exploring the landscape of loss, Establishing theoretical and therapeutic bearings, Mapping grief, Listening to personal grief narratives with a focus on both vulnerability and resilience. The final chapter emphasises the responsibilities of practitioners to their clients as well as an awareness of the need for professional support to enable practitioners to maintain their own resilience and resourcefulness.
(available from bookshop at St Christopher’s Hospice Ph: 020 8768 4660
Email: d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk)
What to do following a death
Lawpack Publishing Ltd 2007
This Lawpack Kit, published in conjunction with CRUSE, contains information and advice to help bereaved people cope with both the administrative procedures and the emotions of bereavement following the death of a loved one. The information has been carefully compiled from reliable sources but there could be minor changes since publication. It includes ideas on how to prepare for a funeral.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Ethical framework for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy.
Revised edition.
BACP, 2007
This 16 page booklet provides key principles for anyone working with clients or supervising counselling services. It incorporates key values, ethical principles, personal moral qualities, guidance on good practice, providing a good standard of practice and care, working with colleagues, professional conduct procedure, dealing with complaints.
Machin Linda
Working with loss and grief
Sage 2009 £18.99
In the introduction, the author indicates she will use the metaphor of journey to describe and explore the experience of grief. She elaborates on the metaphor by conceptualising theory as a “compass” and a new practice model as a “map”. She is concerned with capturing aspects of the universal as well as the individual aspects of grief – and with exploring their complementary roles as one helps bereaved people with their losses.
Chapter headings include Exploring the landscape of loss, Establishing theoretical and therapeutic bearings, Mapping grief, Listening to personal grief narratives with a focus on both vulnerability and resilience. The final chapter emphasises the responsibilities of practitioners to their clients as well as an awareness of the need for professional support to enable practitioners to maintain their own resilience and resourcefulness.
(available from bookshop at St Christopher’s Hospice Ph: 020 8768 4660
Email: d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Update on bereavement research
The most recent edition of the journal Grief Matters (Autumn 2008 v11 no1) coincided with the hosting of the 19th International conference on Grief and Bereavement in Melbourne Australia in the summer this year.
Articles include:
Stroebe Margaret S, Schut Henk
The dual process model of coping with bereavement: overview and update p4-10
Bonanno George A
Grief, trauma and resilience
p11-17
Neimeyer Robert A, Currier Joseph M
Bereavement interventions: present status and future horizons
p18-22
Prigerson Holly G, Vanderwerker Lauren C, Maciejewski Paul K
A case for inclusion of prolonged grief disorder in DSM-IV
p23-32
Mikulincer Mario
An attachment perspective on disordered grief reactions and the process of
grief resolution
p34-37
Articles include:
Stroebe Margaret S, Schut Henk
The dual process model of coping with bereavement: overview and update p4-10
Bonanno George A
Grief, trauma and resilience
p11-17
Neimeyer Robert A, Currier Joseph M
Bereavement interventions: present status and future horizons
p18-22
Prigerson Holly G, Vanderwerker Lauren C, Maciejewski Paul K
A case for inclusion of prolonged grief disorder in DSM-IV
p23-32
Mikulincer Mario
An attachment perspective on disordered grief reactions and the process of
grief resolution
p34-37
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
New books from the Dyregrovs
Atle and Kari Dyregrov have completed many research studies in bereavement, mainly in Norway. These span a diverse age group and include research on bereavement in a variety of circumstances.
Dyregrov Atle
Grief in young children
Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008
This is probably the first book on bereavement for pre school children.
Contents: 1. What Is grief? 2. What can be done to help children who have suffered a loss? 3. Children's participation in rituals. 4. How do children process what has happened over time? 5. Supporting children over time. 6. Advice to parents. 7. Specific advice. 8. Conclusion. Resources. Bibliography. Index
2008 has also seen a new edition of the book
Dyregrov, Atle
Grief in children. A handbook for adults. 2nd edition.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008
Contents: 1: Children’s reactions to grief and crisis. 2: Different types of death (sibling, parent, grandparent, friend, suicide.) 3: Death and crisis at different developmental levels. 4. What makes grief worse? 5. Sex differences in children’s grief. 6. Care for children in grief and crisis (including viewing dead bodies, funerals, cremation). 7. Guidelines for taking care of children’s needs.
8. Handling death in the playgroup and at school. 9. Crisis-or-grief-therapy for
children. 10. Bereavement groups for children. 11. Caring for oneself.
In addition they have recently written
Dyregrov Kari, Dyregrov Atle
Effective grief and bereavement support. The role of family friends, colleagues,
schools and support professionals.
Jessica Kingsley 2008
Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. How does sudden death affect the close bereaved? 3. What types of support do the bereaved encounter and what do they want? 4. Children and young people - Their situation and help needs. 5. How does sudden death affect social networks? 6. Social network support - Challenges and solutions. 7. The main principles behind good network support. 8. What kinds of support can family and friends give? 9. What kind of support can the school and workplace provide? 10. When should professional help be brought In? 11. Support for the social network. Appendix. References. Subject Index. Author Index.
(All are available from the bookshop at St Christopher’s bookshop d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk)
Dyregrov Atle
Grief in young children
Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008
This is probably the first book on bereavement for pre school children.
Contents: 1. What Is grief? 2. What can be done to help children who have suffered a loss? 3. Children's participation in rituals. 4. How do children process what has happened over time? 5. Supporting children over time. 6. Advice to parents. 7. Specific advice. 8. Conclusion. Resources. Bibliography. Index
2008 has also seen a new edition of the book
Dyregrov, Atle
Grief in children. A handbook for adults. 2nd edition.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008
Contents: 1: Children’s reactions to grief and crisis. 2: Different types of death (sibling, parent, grandparent, friend, suicide.) 3: Death and crisis at different developmental levels. 4. What makes grief worse? 5. Sex differences in children’s grief. 6. Care for children in grief and crisis (including viewing dead bodies, funerals, cremation). 7. Guidelines for taking care of children’s needs.
8. Handling death in the playgroup and at school. 9. Crisis-or-grief-therapy for
children. 10. Bereavement groups for children. 11. Caring for oneself.
In addition they have recently written
Dyregrov Kari, Dyregrov Atle
Effective grief and bereavement support. The role of family friends, colleagues,
schools and support professionals.
Jessica Kingsley 2008
Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. How does sudden death affect the close bereaved? 3. What types of support do the bereaved encounter and what do they want? 4. Children and young people - Their situation and help needs. 5. How does sudden death affect social networks? 6. Social network support - Challenges and solutions. 7. The main principles behind good network support. 8. What kinds of support can family and friends give? 9. What kind of support can the school and workplace provide? 10. When should professional help be brought In? 11. Support for the social network. Appendix. References. Subject Index. Author Index.
(All are available from the bookshop at St Christopher’s bookshop d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk)
Monday, September 01, 2008
A book, a report, an organisation…
Hooyman Nancy R, Kramer Betty J.
Living through Loss. Interventions
across the lifespan.
Columbia University Press, 2006
This is an ambitious book written from the perspective of social work. General chapters focus on theories of grief, processes of grief, resilience, meaning making and self care.
The authors have divided the lifespan into five categories – childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and older adulthood. Two chapters are devoted to each age group – one identifies issues that particularly pertain to that age group and the other details appropriate interventions for them. There are various useful charts and tables scattered throughout the text eg a summary of recommendations for grief counsellors, given current empirical evidence. This is a book worth dipping into!
Department of Health (UK)
End of life strategy
Department of Health 2008
Throughout the report there is great emphasis on practical and emotional support of patients and their carers and on the provision of information at all stages of dying through to bereavement. In fact this is one of the ten key objectives in the report. There is almost no mention of counselling per se in any part of the document.
Various examples of good bereavement support are provided. They tend to focus on the immediate aftermath of a death. The needs of bereaved children are mentioned a number of times.
In the measurement framework, the importance of education and training for health and social care and widespread provision of appropriate information on bereavement is regarded as vital. The number of carers supported by care after death on the Liverpool Care Pathway will be regarded as a measure of progress and measures of outcome will be assessed by carers’ reports of their own experience of support and care after bereavement.
The kind of training needed to support bereaved people in the aftermath of either a sudden or unexpected death is not provided. However, research into models of bereavement care is suggested.
It is also suggested that occasions of remembrance should be organised to help and support bereaved people. At these events, information about bereavement support should be available and further opportunities provided for people to self refer to bereavement services. The full report can be accesed via:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_086277
Bereavement Research Forum.
This UK based organisation provides a forum for interested professionals to discuss, promote and develop bereavement research. Its website provides information on its own conferences as well as on other key bereavement conferences in the UK, useful research sites and some recent publications.
http://www.brforum.org.uk/
Living through Loss. Interventions
across the lifespan.
Columbia University Press, 2006
This is an ambitious book written from the perspective of social work. General chapters focus on theories of grief, processes of grief, resilience, meaning making and self care.
The authors have divided the lifespan into five categories – childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and older adulthood. Two chapters are devoted to each age group – one identifies issues that particularly pertain to that age group and the other details appropriate interventions for them. There are various useful charts and tables scattered throughout the text eg a summary of recommendations for grief counsellors, given current empirical evidence. This is a book worth dipping into!
Department of Health (UK)
End of life strategy
Department of Health 2008
Throughout the report there is great emphasis on practical and emotional support of patients and their carers and on the provision of information at all stages of dying through to bereavement. In fact this is one of the ten key objectives in the report. There is almost no mention of counselling per se in any part of the document.
Various examples of good bereavement support are provided. They tend to focus on the immediate aftermath of a death. The needs of bereaved children are mentioned a number of times.
In the measurement framework, the importance of education and training for health and social care and widespread provision of appropriate information on bereavement is regarded as vital. The number of carers supported by care after death on the Liverpool Care Pathway will be regarded as a measure of progress and measures of outcome will be assessed by carers’ reports of their own experience of support and care after bereavement.
The kind of training needed to support bereaved people in the aftermath of either a sudden or unexpected death is not provided. However, research into models of bereavement care is suggested.
It is also suggested that occasions of remembrance should be organised to help and support bereaved people. At these events, information about bereavement support should be available and further opportunities provided for people to self refer to bereavement services. The full report can be accesed via:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_086277
Bereavement Research Forum.
This UK based organisation provides a forum for interested professionals to discuss, promote and develop bereavement research. Its website provides information on its own conferences as well as on other key bereavement conferences in the UK, useful research sites and some recent publications.
http://www.brforum.org.uk/
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
6 items for 6 months.....
The aim of this blog is to highlight just one item per month which might prove interesting to professionals involved in bereavement care. On this occasion, as the blog has not been done for 6 months, you are referred to 6 items! The first is a book. The next four are chosen from a select review of articles cited on CINAHL, PsychLit and Medline for 2007. The last is an abstract from a new journal on end of life care which is published in conjunction with St Christopher’s Hospice.
One of the most recent useful publications on bereavement has been made available online:
Relf Marilyn, , Machin Linda, Archer Nikki.
Guidance for bereavement needs assessment in palliative care
Help the Hospices 2008
http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk/servicedev/downloads/bereavement_needs_assessment_guide.pdf
Reviewing the stages of grief in a new way:
Maciejewski PK, Zhang B, Block SD, Prigerson HG
An empirical study of the stages of grief
JAMA. 2007;297:716-723.
Full text
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/7/716
(Many of JAMA articles are available free of charge electronically after 1 year. Comments on the article were made in the journal but are not yet available free electronically in full text. An erratum on a confusing sentence has also been published)
Another article published in the last year is now available online free of any fees:
Lautrette A, Darmon M, Megarbane B, Joly LM, Chevre ST, AdrieC, M.D et al.
A communication strategy and brochure for relatives of patients dying in the ICU
New England Journal of Medicine 2007; 356: 469-478
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/5/469
(The value of written information is confirmed in this research)
The following provide links to abstracts only though all will be available from the library at St Christophers’ Hospice
Currier JM, Holland JM, Neimeyer RA
The effectiveness of bereavement interventions with children: a meta-analytic review of controlled outcome research.
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 2007; 36(2): 253-9
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17484697
Moules NJ, Simonson K, Fleiszer AR, Prins M, Glasgow B
The soul of sorrow work: grief and therapeutic interventions with families
Journal of Family Nursing 2007; 13(1): 17-41
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17220385
Platts R, Gray C, Vora V, Park J
The Teddy Bear scheme- supporting children and their families as they prepare for loss and bereavement.
End of Life Care 2008;2(2);78
This is the abstract of a poster presented at the recent 7th Palliative Care Congress in Glasgow. It is a project at St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield which aims to ensure that children feel welcome and included when they visit the hospice. It centres on the imaginative use to which a teddy bear and a rucksack can be put, in enabling meaningful communication between patients and their young visitors.
Any queries, contact d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk
One of the most recent useful publications on bereavement has been made available online:
Relf Marilyn, , Machin Linda, Archer Nikki.
Guidance for bereavement needs assessment in palliative care
Help the Hospices 2008
http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk/servicedev/downloads/bereavement_needs_assessment_guide.pdf
Reviewing the stages of grief in a new way:
Maciejewski PK, Zhang B, Block SD, Prigerson HG
An empirical study of the stages of grief
JAMA. 2007;297:716-723.
Full text
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/7/716
(Many of JAMA articles are available free of charge electronically after 1 year. Comments on the article were made in the journal but are not yet available free electronically in full text. An erratum on a confusing sentence has also been published)
Another article published in the last year is now available online free of any fees:
Lautrette A, Darmon M, Megarbane B, Joly LM, Chevre ST, AdrieC, M.D et al.
A communication strategy and brochure for relatives of patients dying in the ICU
New England Journal of Medicine 2007; 356: 469-478
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/5/469
(The value of written information is confirmed in this research)
The following provide links to abstracts only though all will be available from the library at St Christophers’ Hospice
Currier JM, Holland JM, Neimeyer RA
The effectiveness of bereavement interventions with children: a meta-analytic review of controlled outcome research.
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 2007; 36(2): 253-9
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17484697
Moules NJ, Simonson K, Fleiszer AR, Prins M, Glasgow B
The soul of sorrow work: grief and therapeutic interventions with families
Journal of Family Nursing 2007; 13(1): 17-41
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17220385
Platts R, Gray C, Vora V, Park J
The Teddy Bear scheme- supporting children and their families as they prepare for loss and bereavement.
End of Life Care 2008;2(2);78
This is the abstract of a poster presented at the recent 7th Palliative Care Congress in Glasgow. It is a project at St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield which aims to ensure that children feel welcome and included when they visit the hospice. It centres on the imaginative use to which a teddy bear and a rucksack can be put, in enabling meaningful communication between patients and their young visitors.
Any queries, contact d.brady@stchristophers.org.uk
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
A collection of papers, a collection of books, a website
A collection of papers, a collection of books, a website
It is useful to bring together a series of papers on one important piece of research. The following are references to a recent major study on adult bereavement services in the UK:
Field D, Payne S, Relf M, Reid D
Some issues in the provision of adult bereavement support by UK hospices. Social Science Medicine, 2007 vol. 64, no. 2, p. 428-38.
Reid D, Field D, Payne S, Relf, M
Adult bereavement in five English hospices: types of support. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2006 vol 12, no. 9, p. 430-7
Reid D, Field D, Payne S, Relf, M
Adult bereavement in five English hospices: participants, organisations and pre-bereavement support. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2006 vol. 12, no. 7, p. 320-7
Field D, Reid D, Payne S, Relf M
Survey of UK hospice and specialist palliative care adult bereavement services. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2004 vol. 10, no. 12, p. 569-76
Reflections on this type of research is discussed in:
Payne S, Field D, Rolls L, Hawker, S, Kerr C
Case study research methods in end-of-life care: reflections on three studies. Journal of advanced nursing, 2007, vol. 58, no. 3, p. 236-45
The Irish Hospice Foundation has a generous offer:
Delaney Susan (ed)
Irish stories of loss and hope
Irish Hospice Foundation 2007
This is a book of personal experiences of bereavement. Many types of bereavement are described and the writers reflect on a great variety of relationships that they have lost through death – from their own newly born infants to much loved elderly relatives. It is very well produced with colourful photographs and paintings. If you want to obtain it for clinical work, the librarian is happy to send it to you free of charge. Alternatively you can purchase it for personal use or as a gift. In that case, the cost is £7 including postage. Other new publications from the IHF are:
Bereavement at work by Breffni McGuinness. Free of charge
Lifestory. A journal where people record their own lifestory €40.00
Design and Dignity Baseline Review. Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme Free of charge
Contact Caroline Pfeifer., Librarian, Irish Hospice Foundation. Phone 003531 6793188 or email: Caroline.pfeifer@hospice-foundation.ie
A website
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Bereavement/Bereavementgeneralinformation/index.htm
This section of the Department of Health website in the UK provides some recent additions to their resources on bereavement – one is Bereavement: A guide for transsexual, transgender people and their loved ones. The second is a leaflet on neonatal loss: Devastating loss. Other key documents on the subject are avalable through this page and also via the drop down menu on the left hand side. Click on bereavement
It is useful to bring together a series of papers on one important piece of research. The following are references to a recent major study on adult bereavement services in the UK:
Field D, Payne S, Relf M, Reid D
Some issues in the provision of adult bereavement support by UK hospices. Social Science Medicine, 2007 vol. 64, no. 2, p. 428-38.
Reid D, Field D, Payne S, Relf, M
Adult bereavement in five English hospices: types of support. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2006 vol 12, no. 9, p. 430-7
Reid D, Field D, Payne S, Relf, M
Adult bereavement in five English hospices: participants, organisations and pre-bereavement support. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2006 vol. 12, no. 7, p. 320-7
Field D, Reid D, Payne S, Relf M
Survey of UK hospice and specialist palliative care adult bereavement services. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2004 vol. 10, no. 12, p. 569-76
Reflections on this type of research is discussed in:
Payne S, Field D, Rolls L, Hawker, S, Kerr C
Case study research methods in end-of-life care: reflections on three studies. Journal of advanced nursing, 2007, vol. 58, no. 3, p. 236-45
The Irish Hospice Foundation has a generous offer:
Delaney Susan (ed)
Irish stories of loss and hope
Irish Hospice Foundation 2007
This is a book of personal experiences of bereavement. Many types of bereavement are described and the writers reflect on a great variety of relationships that they have lost through death – from their own newly born infants to much loved elderly relatives. It is very well produced with colourful photographs and paintings. If you want to obtain it for clinical work, the librarian is happy to send it to you free of charge. Alternatively you can purchase it for personal use or as a gift. In that case, the cost is £7 including postage. Other new publications from the IHF are:
Bereavement at work by Breffni McGuinness. Free of charge
Lifestory. A journal where people record their own lifestory €40.00
Design and Dignity Baseline Review. Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme Free of charge
Contact Caroline Pfeifer., Librarian, Irish Hospice Foundation. Phone 003531 6793188 or email: Caroline.pfeifer@hospice-foundation.ie
A website
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Bereavement/Bereavementgeneralinformation/index.htm
This section of the Department of Health website in the UK provides some recent additions to their resources on bereavement – one is Bereavement: A guide for transsexual, transgender people and their loved ones. The second is a leaflet on neonatal loss: Devastating loss. Other key documents on the subject are avalable through this page and also via the drop down menu on the left hand side. Click on bereavement
