The National Archive of Grief Support Studies
The National Archive of Grief Support Studies(NAGSS) database provides bibliographical information and summaries of recent articles selected for their relevance to grief and bereavement service providers. The articles that are summarized are selected from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and are intended to highlight key concepts as well as provide a brief statement of implications for service providers. Bibliographical information may be used to obtain the original article.
Resilience Rather than Recovery: a Contextual Framework on Adaptation Following Bereavement
Authors:
Sandler, Irwin N.
Wolchik, Sharlene A.
Ayers, Tim S.
Source:
Death Studies: 2008. Volume 32, pp. 59-73.
Summary
This article summarizes a theoretical framework for viewing the process of change following bereavement. The authors propose that the use of the term adaptation is more appropriate than recovery. The authors also suggest that an adaptation characterized by resilience is most likely to result in positive outcomes. The authors state that recovery is commonly viewed as a return to health after experiencing a disorder, while adaptation communicates a focus on on-going processes. The emphasis on resilience moves the focus from traumatic experiences in the past to post-bereavement changes that promote meeting new needs following the loss.
Key words: adapt, recovery, resilience, terminology
Service Provider Implications
This article provides a summary of some of the on-going theoretical discussions regarding the appropriate terminology and theoretical models for the field of grief and bereavement.
