Health Care and Grief
Grief: A Family Crisis
Codie Robertson
Idaho State University
Introduction Grief transpires across all ages and is an aspect of all cultures (Jacob, 1993). Is a reaction to a situation of loss or impending loss, which can result from the loss of a loved one, or loss of something treasured (Dunn, 2004). There have been numerous research articles and publications in the medical field to aid in defining and managing the aspects of grief. Nevertheless, many aspects of grief still remain unknown (O’Mallon, 2009). Frequently, articles focus in the area of the grief experiences after the loss of a loved one, or treasured items. However, grief can manifest prior to loss of something or someone, such as in the instance of the diagnosis of terminal illness regarding a loved one (Dunn, 2004). This is referred to as anticipatory grief. Family members can go through the grief reaction prior to the death of a loved one once the diagnosis of terminal illness has been given. This is a time when, not only, a good support system is important, but heightened awareness of the heath care provider is necessary. Grief can manifest itself with both physical and mental complications, and requires a holistic approach of care (Field et al., 2008). Definition of the concept To begin to understand what grief is it is important to first know the foundation, and definition of the word. Grief is derived from the Latin word gravare; which roughly translates to burden or cause distress (Dunn, 2004). The Oxford dictionary defines grief as “great sadness caused by trouble or loss and a heavy sorrow (Oxford dictionary, 1989, p. 209).” Greenstreet, (2004) defines grief as a response that is individual and involves physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and spiritual aspects, and makes the assumption it is a reaction, which ensues according to a perceived loss. In psychology Freud first defined grief as “the subtle but progressive retreat of energy that is connected to the
Codie Robertson
Idaho State University
Introduction Grief transpires across all ages and is an aspect of all cultures (Jacob, 1993). Is a reaction to a situation of loss or impending loss, which can result from the loss of a loved one, or loss of something treasured (Dunn, 2004). There have been numerous research articles and publications in the medical field to aid in defining and managing the aspects of grief. Nevertheless, many aspects of grief still remain unknown (O’Mallon, 2009). Frequently, articles focus in the area of the grief experiences after the loss of a loved one, or treasured items. However, grief can manifest prior to loss of something or someone, such as in the instance of the diagnosis of terminal illness regarding a loved one (Dunn, 2004). This is referred to as anticipatory grief. Family members can go through the grief reaction prior to the death of a loved one once the diagnosis of terminal illness has been given. This is a time when, not only, a good support system is important, but heightened awareness of the heath care provider is necessary. Grief can manifest itself with both physical and mental complications, and requires a holistic approach of care (Field et al., 2008). Definition of the concept To begin to understand what grief is it is important to first know the foundation, and definition of the word. Grief is derived from the Latin word gravare; which roughly translates to burden or cause distress (Dunn, 2004). The Oxford dictionary defines grief as “great sadness caused by trouble or loss and a heavy sorrow (Oxford dictionary, 1989, p. 209).” Greenstreet, (2004) defines grief as a response that is individual and involves physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and spiritual aspects, and makes the assumption it is a reaction, which ensues according to a perceived loss. In psychology Freud first defined grief as “the subtle but progressive retreat of energy that is connected to the