What makes a difference in bereavement and grief Research Paper

What makes a difference in bereavement and grief - Research Paper Example C. A. Corr and D. A. Corr (2012, p. 244) identify five critical variables that influence experiences of bereavement and grief, namely: nature of the prior attachment or the perceived value, the way in which the loss occurred, coping strategies, developmental situation of the bereaved person, and the nature of the support that is available to the bereaved person after the loss. Of the five principles stated, the author believed that the nature of the prior attachment or the perceived value, the way in which the loss occurred, and the coping strategies appear to make a difference in the ways in which bereavement and grief are experienced. First, prior attachments refer to the relationship one has built with the person who has died. The depth of that relationship cannot be appreciated unless that person has gone or died. Another way to look at this is the perceived value of the relationship; that is, the more important a person to the bereaving individual, the greater is the expression of grief. For instance, if someone who died belongs to a member of our family, it will represent a loss that will need to be mourned as I have attachment to the person involved and he/she is also important or of value to me. In addition, relationships are multidimensional and may also affect difficultly grieving and bereavement if it is associated with the loss of the person w ho inflicted abuse or violence. The second principle which appeared to make a difference in the ways in which bereavement and grief are experienced is the way in which the loss takes place and the circumstances of the bereaved person. From my perspective, grieving becomes difficult and loss is hard to accept if the person died in a tragic and traumatic way (e.g., suicide, violence, and natural disasters). Time also matters in the grieving and bereavement process. It would be harder to accept a sudden and an unexpected death than a foreseen one like in the case of terminal cancer patients. Similarly,