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July 15, 1983, Vol 250, No. 3 >
ARTICLE | July 15, 1983

Normal and Pathological Grief FREE

J. Trig Brown, MD; G. Alan Stoudemire, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Box 3824, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (Dr Brown).


JAMA. 1983;250(3):378-382. doi:10.1001/jama.1983.03340030038025
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References

Physicians are often called on to care for patients and members of patients' families during the period of bereavement. The grief process serves a psychologically adaptive function and usually progresses in a predictable manner. Under certain unusual circumstances, however, the grieving process may become pathologically delayed or distorted, with serious consequences for the survivor's emotional and physical health. There are three phases of the normal grief process and particular guidelines for physician recognition and management of pathological grief reactions.

(JAMA 1983;250:378-382)

REFERENCES

1 +
Burton R: The Anatomy of Melancholy , Dell F, Jourdan-Smith P (eds). London, JM Dent & Sons, 1981;, vol 2, p 107.
2 +
Cavenar JO, Butts NT, Spaulding JG:  Grief: Normal or abnormal? NC Med J 1978;;39:31-34.
3 +
Silverman PR, Cooperband A:  On widowhood: Mutual help and the elderly widow . J Geriatr Psychiatry 1975;;8:9-27.
4 +
Engel GL:  Is grief a disease? A challenge for medical research . Psychosom Med 1961;; 23:18-22.
5 +
Lindemann E:  Symptomatology and management of acute grief . Am J Psychiatry 1944;; 101:141-148.
6 +
Bowlby J:  Processes of mourning . Int J Psychoanal 1961;;42:317-340.
7 +
Bowlby J:  Pathological mourning and childhood mourning . J Am Psychoanal Assoc 1963;; 11:500-541.
8 +
Parkes CM:  The first year of bereavement . Psychiatry 1970;;33:444-467.
9 +
Greenblatt M:  The grieving spouse . Am J Psychiatry 1978;;135:43-47.
10 +
Silverman PR:  The widow as caregiver in a program of preventative intervention with other widows , in Killelie CG (ed): Support Systems and Mutual Help . New York, Grune & Stratton Inc, 1976;, pp 233-243.
11 +
Clayton P, Desmarais L, Winokur G:  A study of normal bereavement . Am J Psychiatry 1968;;125:168-178.
12 +
Zisook S, DeVaul RA, Click MA:  Measuring symptoms of grief and bereavement . Am J Psychiatry 1982;;139:1590-1593.
13 +
Vollman RR, Ganzert A, Picher L, et al:  The reactions of family systems to sudden and unexpected death . Omega 1971;;2:101-106.
14 +
Maddison D, Viola A:  The health of widows in the year following bereavement . J Psychosom Res 1968;;12:297-306.
15 +
Parkes CM, Brown RJ:  Health after bereavement . Psychosom Med 1972;;34:449-461.
16 +
Clayton PJ:  The effect of living alone on bereavement symptoms . Am J Psychiatry 1975;; 132:133-137.
17 +
Clayton PJ, Herjanic M, Murphy GE, et al:  Mourning and depression: Their similarities and differences . Can J Psychiatry 1974;;19:309-312.
18 +
Bornstein PE, Clayton PJ, Halikas JA, et al:  The depression of widowhood after 13 months . Br J Psychiatry 1973;;122:561-566.
19 +
Rees WD, Lutkins SG:  Mortality of bereavement . Br Med J 1967;;4:13-16.
20 +
Parkes CM, Benjamin B, Fitzgerald RG:  Broken heart: A statistical study of increased mortality among widowers . Br Med J 1969;; 1:740-743.
21 +
Parkes CM:  Determination of outcome following bereavement . Proc R Soc Med 1971;; 64:279.
22 +
Raphael B:  Preventive intervention with the recently bereaved . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1977;;34:1450-1454.
23 +
Maddison D, Walker WL:  Factors affecting the outcome of conjugal bereavement . Br J Psychiatry 1967;;113:1057-1067.
24 +
Raphael B:  The management of pathological grief . Aust NZ J Psychiatry 1975;;9:173-180.
25 +
Volkan VD, Josephthal D:  The treatment of established pathological mourners , in Karasu TB, Bellak L (eds): Specialized Techniques in Individual Psychotherapy . New York, Brunner/ Mazel Inc, 1980;, pp 118-140.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Burton R: The Anatomy of Melancholy , Dell F, Jourdan-Smith P (eds). London, JM Dent & Sons, 1981;, vol 2, p 107.
2 +
Cavenar JO, Butts NT, Spaulding JG:  Grief: Normal or abnormal? NC Med J 1978;;39:31-34.
3 +
Silverman PR, Cooperband A:  On widowhood: Mutual help and the elderly widow . J Geriatr Psychiatry 1975;;8:9-27.
4 +
Engel GL:  Is grief a disease? A challenge for medical research . Psychosom Med 1961;; 23:18-22.
5 +
Lindemann E:  Symptomatology and management of acute grief . Am J Psychiatry 1944;; 101:141-148.
6 +
Bowlby J:  Processes of mourning . Int J Psychoanal 1961;;42:317-340.
7 +
Bowlby J:  Pathological mourning and childhood mourning . J Am Psychoanal Assoc 1963;; 11:500-541.
8 +
Parkes CM:  The first year of bereavement . Psychiatry 1970;;33:444-467.
9 +
Greenblatt M:  The grieving spouse . Am J Psychiatry 1978;;135:43-47.
10 +
Silverman PR:  The widow as caregiver in a program of preventative intervention with other widows , in Killelie CG (ed): Support Systems and Mutual Help . New York, Grune & Stratton Inc, 1976;, pp 233-243.
11 +
Clayton P, Desmarais L, Winokur G:  A study of normal bereavement . Am J Psychiatry 1968;;125:168-178.
12 +
Zisook S, DeVaul RA, Click MA:  Measuring symptoms of grief and bereavement . Am J Psychiatry 1982;;139:1590-1593.
13 +
Vollman RR, Ganzert A, Picher L, et al:  The reactions of family systems to sudden and unexpected death . Omega 1971;;2:101-106.
14 +
Maddison D, Viola A:  The health of widows in the year following bereavement . J Psychosom Res 1968;;12:297-306.
15 +
Parkes CM, Brown RJ:  Health after bereavement . Psychosom Med 1972;;34:449-461.
16 +
Clayton PJ:  The effect of living alone on bereavement symptoms . Am J Psychiatry 1975;; 132:133-137.
17 +
Clayton PJ, Herjanic M, Murphy GE, et al:  Mourning and depression: Their similarities and differences . Can J Psychiatry 1974;;19:309-312.
18 +
Bornstein PE, Clayton PJ, Halikas JA, et al:  The depression of widowhood after 13 months . Br J Psychiatry 1973;;122:561-566.
19 +
Rees WD, Lutkins SG:  Mortality of bereavement . Br Med J 1967;;4:13-16.
20 +
Parkes CM, Benjamin B, Fitzgerald RG:  Broken heart: A statistical study of increased mortality among widowers . Br Med J 1969;; 1:740-743.
21 +
Parkes CM:  Determination of outcome following bereavement . Proc R Soc Med 1971;; 64:279.
22 +
Raphael B:  Preventive intervention with the recently bereaved . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1977;;34:1450-1454.
23 +
Maddison D, Walker WL:  Factors affecting the outcome of conjugal bereavement . Br J Psychiatry 1967;;113:1057-1067.
24 +
Raphael B:  The management of pathological grief . Aust NZ J Psychiatry 1975;;9:173-180.
25 +
Volkan VD, Josephthal D:  The treatment of established pathological mourners , in Karasu TB, Bellak L (eds): Specialized Techniques in Individual Psychotherapy . New York, Brunner/ Mazel Inc, 1980;, pp 118-140.

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