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.
The Generation of Hypotheses with Regard to the Influence of Context on Complicated Grief
Authors:
Opperman, B.
Novello, A.
Source:
South African Journal of Psychology: 2006. Volume 36, Issue 2, pp. 374-390.
Summary
This article describes a small qualitative study of 13 bereaved women living in South Africa who were assessed at a mental clinic as suffering from complicated grief. Interviews were conducted with the women to gain insight into the impact of personal context, family context, and socio-environmental context on grief experiences. The authors found that each of the women experienced a unique set of stressors associated with their specific personal, family, and socio-environmental contexts. Although the study did not show that any particular type of stressor was associated with complicated grief, the authors state that complicated grief may be more likely in the face of multiple stressors.
Key words: complicated, environment, prolonged, pathology, trauma
Service Provider Implications
This article points out the importance of understanding the personal, family, and socio-environmental context of bereaved individuals. Awareness of the different stressors that exist in an individual’s life, in addition to the loss of a loved one, can help clinicians understand the intensity of the grief experience.
