Grief & Bereavement Theory Flashcards

Erich Lindemann's 1944 landmark study on acute grief was based primarily on survivors of:

Answer: The Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire

Lindemann's foundational grief research was based on his work with survivors and bereaved families from the 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston.

According to George Bonanno's research, the most common trajectory following bereavement in adults is:

Answer: Resilience with minimal disruption

Bonanno's research consistently found that resilience — characterized by relatively stable functioning — is the most common response to loss in adults.

The 'continuing bonds' theory, developed by Klass, Silverman, and Nickman, challenged which earlier grief assumption?

Answer: The goal of mourning is to sever ties with the deceased

Continuing bonds theory challenged Freud's model that grief requires detaching libido from the lost object; instead, maintaining an ongoing relationship with the deceased is normal and adaptive.

In the context of disenfranchised grief, which loss is MOST likely to go unrecognized by society?

Answer: Death of a miscarried fetus at 10 weeks

Doka identified early pregnancy loss as a paradigmatic example of disenfranchised grief because social norms often minimize or deny the significance of this loss.

Worden's Task IV, updated in later editions, is best described as:

Answer: Finding an enduring connection while embarking on a new life

Worden revised Task IV from 'withdrawing emotional energy' to 'finding an enduring connection with the deceased while embarking on a new life,' reflecting continuing bonds theory.

The 'trajectory of grief' concept proposed by Bonanno identifies which four distinct patterns?

Answer: Resilience, recovery, chronic grief, delayed grief

Bonanno identified four empirically derived grief trajectories: resilience, recovery, chronic grief, and delayed grief, challenging stage-based models.

When a bereaved person oscillates between confronting grief and taking respite from it, this is best explained by:

Answer: The Dual Process Model

The Dual Process Model by Stroebe and Schut specifically describes oscillation between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented coping as the healthy adaptive mechanism in bereavement.