A case study in failure: On doing everything right in suicide prevention

HIV-positive and AIDS-infected women: Challenges and difficulties of mothering.

“…The concept of disenfranchised grief is particularly relevant to people with AIDS, whose experiences of grief are often not openly acknowledged, publicly mourned, or socially supported (Doka, 1989). These disenfranchising circumstances exacerbate the problem of bereavement, intensifying anger, guilt, and a sense of powerlessness (Doka, 1989; Miller & Roll, 1985). Worden (1982) identified three social factors that can lead to the development of a complicated grief reaction: a loss that is socially unspeakable, a loss that is socially negated, and the absence of a social support network for the bereaved individual.…”

Disenfranchised grief in historical and cultural perspective.

“…First, the situations that often result in disenfranchised grief tend to intensify emotional reactions. Although each of the situations described is in its own way unique, the literature uniformly reports how each of these disenfranchising circumstances can intensify feelings of anger, guilt, or powerlessness (see, e.g., Doka, 1985aDoka, , 1986Doka, , 1987Geis, Fuller, (Si Rush, 1986;Kelly, 1977;Miller (Si Roll, 1985;Peppers (St Knapp, 1980).…”

The voices of Thai women living with HIV/AIDS

“…The experiences described by the women support Doka's (1989) ®ndings on disenfranchised grief. The lack of opportunity to publicly mourn and feel socially supported intensi®es a sense of powerlessness (Miller and Roll, 1985). Consequently, these women could not receive supportive public acknowledgement of their grief and struggles as single parents living with HIV and raising children.…”