Grieving and loss processes: latest findings and complexities / Actualidad y complejidad de los procesos de duelo y pérdida

Abstract

The grieving process following the death of a loved one is a period of great emotional stress where psychological intervention is a fundamental pillar. This article defines adaptive grief and outlines the principal current debates in regard to the diagnosis of complicated grief, the use of appropriate evaluation tools, and different therapeutic approaches. In addition, the article explores the peculiarities of certain disenfranchised griefs, in particular those presented by parents of children with chronic diseases such as cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorders.

Grief, loss and end of life processes / Duelo, pérdida y procesos de final de vida

“…Las aportaciones de los autores se incluyen en las diferentes secciones de la revista. En la sección de artículos de Toma de Posición Teórica, Fernández-Alcántara, Pérez-Marfil, Catena-Martínez, y Cruz-Quintana (2017) realizan una revisión sobre el duelo adaptativo y sobre las principales propuestas diagnósticas del duelo complicado, considerando, además, las herramientas de evaluación de mayor utilidad en la actualidad y los modelos terapéuticos más eficaces. También se profundiza en el concepto de duelo desautorizado a partir de recientes ejemplos en casos de diagnóstico de enfermedad crónica.…”

“…The contributions made by the authors appear in different sections throughout the journal. In the Theoretical Perspective section, Fernández-Alcántara, Pérez-Marfil, Catena-Martínez, and Cruz-Quintana (2017) present a review on adaptive grief and the main diagnostic proposals of complicated grief, in addition to outlining the most useful assessment tools and the most effective therapeutic models. The concept of disenfranchised grief is also explored using recent examples of cases where a patient is diagnosed with a chronic disease.…”

Psychological intervention for grief in caregivers of adults diagnosed with intellectual disabilities

“…Primary caregivers, especially parents, are also likely to experience feelings of grief and loss when their family member is diagnosed with ID. Such news comes as a great emotional shock, dashing any hopes they may have had for their family member, and is accompanied by intense negative feelings such as sadness and pain (Fernández-Alcántara et al, 2015;Fernández-Alcántara et al, 2017;Ponte et al, 2012). Recent models such as the dual process model of grief (DPM) by Stroebe et al (2017) suggest that these caregivers oscillate between processing and/or accepting the anticipated or imagined loss of the family member, and coping with the new situation.…”

Grief And Resilience - Parents Who Lost Young Adult Children

“…The reason is that it can last for days, months or years, and it may even never end (Parkers, 1998;Oliveira & Lopes, 2008). The process of grieving after a child"s death is a period of great emotional stress in which it is crucial to offer a psychological intervention and preventive psychological support to parents so that they can control and elaborate their anxiety (Fernández-Alcántara, Pérez-Marfil, Catena-MartÍnez& Cruz-Quintana, 2017, Menezes, Passareli, Drude, Santos & Valle, 2007. When there is such loss, i.e., something that was not designed and planned for one"s child, the parents will have a narcissistic wound, which no longer represents the identification of a part of themselves present in the other (Monti, 2008).…”