Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1989 May;35:1095–1098.

The Spectrum of Grief: Identification and Management

Daphne Barnes
PMCID: PMC2280356  PMID: 21248941

Abstract

Loss is a common human experience, and grief is frequently seen in a physician's office. Grief occurs not only after a death, but also during chronic or serious illness, infertility, divorce, job changes, surgery, rape, and so forth. Some patients somatize distress, presenting with physical symptoms rather than acknowledging their grief. Bereavement increases the risk of both psychiatric and physical disease and can exacerbate pre-existing illness. In the majority, grief resolves normally, but in some the process becomes morbid. The family physician is in a unique position to identify, educate, assess, and intervene with the grieving patient and his family.

Keywords: bereavement, grief, somatization

Full text

PDF
1095

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blankfield A. Grief and alcohol. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1982;9(4):435–446. doi: 10.3109/00952998209002645. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bourne S. The psychological effects of stillbirths on women and their doctors. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1968 Aug;16(2):103–112. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clayton P. J., Halikas J. A., Maurice W. L. The depression of widowhood. Br J Psychiatry. 1972 Jan;120(554):71–77. doi: 10.1192/bjp.120.554.71. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Condon J. T. Psychological disability in women who relinquish a baby for adoption. Med J Aust. 1986 Feb 3;144(3):117–119. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1986.tb112233.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Engel G. L. A life setting conducive to illness. The giving-up--give-up comples. Ann Intern Med. 1968 Aug;69(2):293–300. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-69-2-293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Engel G. L. Sudden and rapid death during psychological stress. Folklore or folk wisdom? Ann Intern Med. 1971 May;74(5):771–782. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-74-5-771. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Harari E. Pathological grief in doctors' wives. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Jan 3;282(6257):33–34. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6257.33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Horowitz M. J. Stress-response syndromes: a review of posttraumatic and adjustment disorders. Hosp Community Psychiatry. 1986 Mar;37(3):241–249. doi: 10.1176/ps.37.3.241. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Irwin M., Daniels M., Weiner H. Immune and neuroendocrine changes during bereavement. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1987 Sep;10(3):449–465. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Leppert P. C., Pahlka B. S. Grieving characteristics after spontaneous abortion: a management approach. Obstet Gynecol. 1984 Jul;64(1):119–122. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lerea L. E., LiMauro B. F. Grief among healthcare workers: a comparative study. J Gerontol. 1982 Sep;37(5):604–608. doi: 10.1093/geronj/37.5.604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Parkes C. M., Brown R. J. Health after bereavement. A controlled study of young Boston widows and widowers. Psychosom Med. 1972 Sep-Oct;34(5):449–461. doi: 10.1097/00006842-197209000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rowe J., Clyman R., Green C., Mikkelsen C., Haight J., Ataide L. Follow-up families who experience a perinatal death. Pediatrics. 1978 Aug;62(2):166–170. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schreiner R. L., Gresham E. L., Green M. Physician's responsibility to parents after death of an infant. Beneficial outcome of a telephone call. Am J Dis Child. 1979 Jul;133(7):723–726. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130070059012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Shanfield S. B. The mourning of the health care professional: an important element in education about death and loss. Death Educ. 1981 Winter;4(4):385–395. doi: 10.1080/07481188108253357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Snowdon J., Solomons R., Druce H. Feigned bereavement: twelve cases. Br J Psychiatry. 1978 Jul;133:15–19. doi: 10.1192/bjp.133.1.15. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Vachon M. L. Psychotherapy and the person with cancer: an analysis of one nurse's experience. Oncol Nurs Forum. 1985 Jul-Aug;12(4):33–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wolff J. R., Nielson P. E., Schiller P. The emotional reaction to a stillbirth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1970 Sep 1;108(1):73–77. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(70)90207-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES