Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: An Attachment Theory Based Perspective

Field, Nigel P.; Gao, Beryl; Paderna, Lisa

doi:10.1080/07481180590923689

Cited by 201 publications

(141 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Summarizing this work, and that of others, Field, Gao, and Paderna (2005) underscore the importance of differences in timing, type, and meaning of continuing bonds to the deceased in relation to hypothesized phases of reaction to loss. This work documents that bereaved people often seek connection to the deceased, especially during the early period after the death.…”

Section: Bereavement and Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…In an article that included 39 of the original 82 participants in the empty chair dialogue study (Field, Gao, & Paderna, 2005), a new assessment of continuing bonds was administered 5 years after the loss. This scale has 11 items, including seeking reminders, keeping possessions, enjoying reminiscence, having inner conversations, feeling the loving presence of the spouse, taking on attributes of the spouse, realizing the impact of the spouse on ''who I am today,'' attempting to carry out spouse's wishes, many fond memories, including spouse in decision making, and experiencing the spouse ''as continuing to live on through me.''…”

Section: Bereavement and Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Attachment, loss, and complicated grief

Shear

Shair

2005

Developmental Psychobiology

326

260

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Bereavement is a highly disruptive experience that is usually followed by a painful but time-limited period of acute grief. An unfortunate minority of individuals experience prolonged and impairing complicated grief, an identifiable syndrome that differs from usual grief, major depression, and other DSM IV diagnostic entities. Underlying processes guiding symptoms are not well understood for either usual or complicated grief. We propose a provisional model of bereavement, guided by Myron Hofer's question "What exactly is lost when a loved one dies?" We integrate insights about biobehavioral regulation from Hofer's animal studies of infant separation, research on adult human attachment, and new ideas from bereavement research. In this model, death of an attachment figure produces a state of traumatic loss and symptoms of acute grief. These symptoms usually resolve following revision of the internalized representation of the deceased to incorporate the reality of the death. Failure to accomplish this integration results in the syndrome of complicated grief.

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Section: Bereavement and Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Bereavement and Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment, loss, and complicated grief

Shear

Shair

2005

Developmental Psychobiology

326

260

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“…This is because the underlying assumptions of some contemporary dominant approaches to bereavement do not differ significantly from those that have promoted the relinquishing of bonds throughout the twentieth century. From an attachment theory perspective, sense of presence experiences are, for example, seen to fulfil a transitional secure base function during the development from a sense of physical proximity to a sense of psychological proximity to the lost attachment figure (Field et al, 2005). According to Field (2006) however, such experiences should be viewed as either "memory-like" and adaptive or "hallucinatory or dissociative" and pathological, especially when they occur more than one year post-loss, as they may then signify "unresolved grief".…”

Section: Continuing Bonds and Adaptiveness Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Having interactions with the dead is now not necessarily viewed as a "hallucinatory wishful psychosis" (Freud, 1917) but, for example, from an attachment theory-based perspective, as a non-pathological means of coping that serves "secure base" functions when adjusting to grief (Field, Gao, & Paderna, 2005). A continuing bond is, however, not necessarily seen to be adjustment-promoting in itself .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can “sense of presence” experiences in bereavement be conceptualised as spiritual phenomena?

Steffen

Coyle

2010

Mental Health, Religion & Culture

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Can "sense of presence" experiences in bereavement be conceptualised as spiritual phenomena?This paper explores the possibility of conceptualising the frequently occurring experience of "sensing the presence of the deceased" in bereavement as a spiritual phenomenon and examines how such a conceptualisation can be related to two recent perspectives in the field of bereavement research, "continuing bonds" and "meaning-making". It is argued that "sense of presence" experiences are expressions of the continuing relationship with the deceased that can be spiritually understood but that pose various challenges for their meaningful integration into the bereaved person's worldview or meaning structuressomething that may need to be more explicitly incorporated into current theoretical frameworks. It is suggested that these experiences can be the catalyst for "post-traumatic growth" through a socially mediated and interactive narrative exploration and that this has important implications for bereavement counselling and therapy.

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“…An example of this is evident in a study which suggests that those who believe in the continuing existence of the soul may be able to apply meaning to their child's death and have comfort in the belief that they may be reunited at some stage and hence maintain a bond with their child (Field, Gao, Paderna 2005 sensing the presence of their child and believing in a higher power that they previously had not believed in. Whilst one study suggested this mightcause difficulty for some parents (Barbato et al 1999), in this study this connection appeared to create a degree of comfort and ongoing attachment.…”

Section: The Role Of Religion and Spiritualitymentioning

confidence: 98%

The Psycho-social Impact of fatal Child Drowning in Queensland and the Availability and Use of Support

Macintyre¹

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This thesis examines the impact of fatal child (0-18 years) drowning in Queensland, Australia, and the supports available to parents following the death of their child. Using a social constructionist qualitative approach, two sets of participants were interviewed: bereaved parents and service providers. The key areas addressed in this research relate to the experiences of parents following their child's death and the benefits and limitations of community and professional support available to them.Bereavement and bereavement support related to an unintentional child death such as drowning have different elements to other child deaths. There is a dearth of literature that examines optimum support for families who experience a fatal child immersion.Fourteen Queensland parents were interviewed about their experiences following the death of their child, the support services available to and accessed by them, and opportunities for improvement within these services. Seventeen service providers were interviewed about their experiences in dealing with parents of children who had drowned, and the support services offered. Data were thematically analysed. Participants highlighted how life changed forever the day their child drowned. Parents' emotional, physical and spiritual states were compromised and some parents also experienced negative changes in their financial situation. Recurrent fundamental themes were expressed by participants in relation to their overall wellbeing. These were physical and/or emotional health; their sense of identity and the impact on their identity of their perceived failure as protector for their child, surviving children, and spouse; the nature and importance of ongoing relationships with immediate and extended family, friends and colleagues; the importance of continuing to honour their child; and the impact of their child's death on work and finances. Service providers described their specific roles in providing services to parents of fatally drowned children, the professional challenges within those roles and the personal impact of providing this service. Themes include: the relevance of the unique geography of Queensland; resource and referral challenges for many organisations; training and education implications; and the impact of bereavement support work on the providers. A consistent finding for both parents and service providers was the limited understanding across the community and professional services regarding the support families require following an unintentional death such as drowning.ii Attention to improved training and education across community and professional sectors, development of a specialised referral database and further research into school and workplace bereavement policies and procedures were key suggestions. Whilst the child drowning rate is decreasing In Queensland due to a number of intervention strategies, unintentional deaths from drowning continue to occur and impact irreversibly on families.Service providers, like parents, clearly articulated ways to ...

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Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: An Attachment Theory Based Perspective

Cited by 201 publications

References 24 publications

Attachment, loss, and complicated grief

Attachment, loss, and complicated grief

Can “sense of presence” experiences in bereavement be conceptualised as spiritual phenomena?

The Psycho-social Impact of fatal Child Drowning in Queensland and the Availability and Use of Support

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