The Last Glance: How Aesthetic Observation of Corpses Facilitates Detachment in Grief Work

Testoni, Ines; Zielo, Alessia; Schiavo, Chiara; Iacona, Erika

doi:10.1177/1054137320933592

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This form of prolonged grief may resemble ambiguous loss that occurs without closure or clear understanding. Some studies have in fact described on the one hand how important it is to have direct contact with the corpse for the closure of mourning, because the contact with the corpse and funeral rituals facilitate the work of mourning (39). By contrast, the imposed lack of contact with the corpse of the deceased may lead to derealization and estrangement that impedes the mourning process (40).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID-19 Disappeared: From Traumatic to Ambiguous Loss and the Role of the Internet for the Bereaved in Italy

et al. 2021

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In Italy, in the very first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic there was a dramatic rise in mortality. However, families were forbidden because of lockdown regulations to be with their loved ones at their deathbeds or to hold funerals. This qualitative study examined bereavement experiences among family members, how they processed their grief, and how they used social networks in particular by uploading photographs during the working-through of bereavement. The sample was composed of 40 individuals aged 23–63 (80% women) from different Italian cities severely impacted by the virus, including a subgroup from the province of Bergamo, which was the city with the highest mortality rate during that time. All interviews were conducted by phone, Skype, or Zoom. Then, the transcriptions underwent a thematic analysis using Atlas.ti. The main themes that emerged were: abandonment anger and guilt, dehumanized disappeared, derealization and constant rumination, and social support and the importance of sharing photos on Facebook. Importantly, the use of social networks proved to be a valuable source of support and photographs were a powerful tool in facilitating the process of mourning by encouraging narration and sharing. Grief had a complex profile: on the one hand, it was traumatic and characterized by all the risk factors causing mourners to experience prolonged grief, but on the other, some features were similar to ambiguous loss (that occurs without closure and clear understanding) because of the impossibility to be with their relatives in their final moments. The possible relationships between ambiguous loss, the use of internet, and the risk of prolonged grief are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID-19 Disappeared: From Traumatic to Ambiguous Loss and the Role of the Internet for the Bereaved in Italy

et al. 2021

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“…Therefore, there is also a need for flexible and preventative school-based interventions to enhance children's understanding of loss and address misconceptions about the death and grief process ( 61 ). Schools and teachers must aim to provide information about death, offer an appropriate vocabulary; present diverse cultural perspectives; allow the elaboration of eventual losses and offer help to manage grief, demystify media contents and myths; and reflect upon the elements of funeral rites to integrate spiritual and religious perspective ( 47 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental Understanding of Death and Grief Among Children During COVID-19 Pandemic: Application of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model

Chachar¹,

Younus

Ali³

2021

Front. Psychiatry

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COVID-19 Pandemic has influenced death-related attitudes and understanding during the childhood development leading to a life-long impact. Factors like pandemic-related movement restrictions, school closures, and parents' stay-at-home have exposed children to the phenomenon of grief and death. In that case, children anticipate adverse outcomes and fear while they struggle with unanswered questions. Children may not have coping skills needed to manage their grief in constructive ways to identify, normalize, and express their responses to the loss in their lives. Naming and validating these responses as distinctive aspects of grief process and providing safe space to express their feelings are essential components of a child's coping with loss and grief. This is crucial to consider, as different children react to and are influenced by their environments differently. This article aims to explore the developmental understanding of the process of death and grief by applying the conceptual framework of Bronfenbrenner's theory. Understanding mutual interaction between a child and various ecological systems determines how children perceive death and process grief can facilitate effective communication that has significant implications.

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“…Finally, a consensus was reached with additional, supervising authors. The flexibility of this approach allowed for unexpected issues to emerge from the narratives without the use of a structured hypothesis guided by the literature (Testoni et al, 2018 , 2020c ; Rotenberg et al, 2020 ). The analysis performed by the interviewer and supervisor followed six fundamental phases: preparatory organisation; generating categories or themes; coding data; testing emerging understanding; searching for alternative explanations; and writing up the report (Marshall and Rossman, 1999 ; Braun and Clarke, 2006 ; Testoni et al, 2020b ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facing COVID-19 Between Sensory and Psychoemotional Stress, and Instrumental Deprivation: A Qualitative Study of Unmanageable Critical Incidents With Doctors and Nurses in Two Hospitals in Northern Italy

et al. 2021

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic severely strained the already unprepared Italian healthcare system. This had repercussions on healthcare workers, stemming, in particular, from a lack of clear guidelines, adequate protective equipment, and professional preparedness. Such conditions were especially prevalent in Northern Italy.Objectives: This study aimed to examine COVID-19-related professional and psychoemotional stress among nurses and doctors in two hospitals in Northern Italy, along with the worst critical incidents affecting healthcare personnel. A parallel objective was to elicit healthcare professionals' opinions about what changes are needed in the healthcare system's operations, as well as about the relational/emotional skills that are needed to better manage relationships with patients in emergency situations.Participants: Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants and yielded 17 hospital professionals: six nurses (five female and one male) and 11 doctors (seven male and four female). Three of these professionals worked in intensive care and the others in different wards. All had close contact with COVID-19 patients.Methods: The study employed a qualitative research design, using in-depth interviews of ~60 min each that were conducted via Skype video calls. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, then analysed. The qualitative analysis employed mixed methods to identify the most relevant and recursive themes from the interviews.Results: Four fundamental themes emerged from our analysis of the interview texts: (1) disorganisation and psychoemotional stress; (2) urgency and critical incidents; (3) everything surreal; and (4) disruptions in empathetic relationships with patients.Conclusions: Through our analysis of the interview narratives, we found that systematic and in-depth psychological training is needed to prepare professionals for (1) altered relationships with patients in emergencies; (2) use of exceptional medical equipment; (3) elaboration of new bioethical models suitable for disasters and pandemics; and (4) engagement with the themes of death and dying.

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The Last Glance: How Aesthetic Observation of Corpses Facilitates Detachment in Grief Work

Cited by 11 publications

References 36 publications

The COVID-19 Disappeared: From Traumatic to Ambiguous Loss and the Role of the Internet for the Bereaved in Italy

The COVID-19 Disappeared: From Traumatic to Ambiguous Loss and the Role of the Internet for the Bereaved in Italy

Developmental Understanding of Death and Grief Among Children During COVID-19 Pandemic: Application of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model

Facing COVID-19 Between Sensory and Psychoemotional Stress, and Instrumental Deprivation: A Qualitative Study of Unmanageable Critical Incidents With Doctors and Nurses in Two Hospitals in Northern Italy

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