Friday, January 19, 2007
Love and loss. The roots of grief and its complications
Parkes Colin Murray
Love and loss. The roots of grief and its complications
London: Routledge 2006. 430 pages
This work rigorously examines the relationship between secure and insecure attachments in childhood and the related subsequent reactions and experiences of grief when one is bereaved through death. It is based on a statistical analysis of replies to a questionnaire on a wide range of events in a population of 278 people who attended a psychiatric outpatient clinic where the author worked. Comparison is made with a control group. Major sections discuss a)attachment and loss b)patterns of attachment and patterns of grief c)other influences on attachment and loss d)disorders of attachment, other psychiatric problems and their prevention and treatment. The appendices are exhaustive and provide detailed statistical analysis.
The evidence concludes that patterns of attachment developed in childhood have a profound influence on the way people grieve. The text includes many case studies as well as varied reflections on the psychotherapeutic process.
The final paragraph comprises a fascinating analogy between love, loss and music.
Love and loss. The roots of grief and its complications
London: Routledge 2006. 430 pages
This work rigorously examines the relationship between secure and insecure attachments in childhood and the related subsequent reactions and experiences of grief when one is bereaved through death. It is based on a statistical analysis of replies to a questionnaire on a wide range of events in a population of 278 people who attended a psychiatric outpatient clinic where the author worked. Comparison is made with a control group. Major sections discuss a)attachment and loss b)patterns of attachment and patterns of grief c)other influences on attachment and loss d)disorders of attachment, other psychiatric problems and their prevention and treatment. The appendices are exhaustive and provide detailed statistical analysis.
The evidence concludes that patterns of attachment developed in childhood have a profound influence on the way people grieve. The text includes many case studies as well as varied reflections on the psychotherapeutic process.
The final paragraph comprises a fascinating analogy between love, loss and music.
