Article of Grief

Abstract

The bereavement literature has yet to show consensus on a clear definition of normal

and abnormal or complicated grief reactions. According to DSM-IV, bereavement is a

stressor event that warrants a clinical diagnosis only in extreme cases when other DSM

categories of psychopathology (e.g., Major Depression) are evident. In contrast, bereavement

theorists have proposed a number of different types of abnormal grief reactions, including

those in which grief is masked or delayed. In this article, we review empirical evidence on the

longitudinal course, phenomenological features, and possible diagnostic relevance of grief

reactions. This evidence was generally consistent with the DSM-IV's view of bereavement

and provided little support for more complicated taxonomies. Most bereaved individuals

showed moderate disruptions in functioning during the first year after a loss, while more

chronic symptoms were evidenced by a relatively small minority. Further, those individuals

showing chronic grief reactions can be relatively easily accommodated by existing diagnostic

categories. Finally, we found no evidence to support the proposed delayed grief category. We

close by suggesting directions for subsequent research. (Bonanno, G. A., & Kaltman, S.,

2001).

Abstract

Analyzes bereavement behavior from cultural, biological, and psychological perspectives.

Mourning is distinguished from grief and the relationship between them examined. Mourning

is considered to represent conventional behavior as determined by the mores and customs of

society. Grief comprises a stereotyped set of psychological and physiological reactions of

biological origin. It is hypothesized that the adaptive function of grief is to ensure group

cohesiveness in species where a social form of existence is necessary for survival. The

phylogenetic and physiological evidence related to this hypothesis is reviewed, and the
symptomatology of grief is examined. It is argued that discussions of grief are conspicuously

rare in the psychological literature because the behavior of the bereaved is not explicable

within most current models of emotion.(Averill, J. R., 1968).

References

Averill, J. R. (1968). Grief: Its nature and significance. Psychological Bulletin, 70(6, Pt.1),

721–748. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0026824

Bonanno, G. A., & Kaltman, S. (2001). The varieties of grief experience. Clinical Psychology

Review, 21(5), 705-734. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(00)00062-3