Bereavement following disasters.

Abstract

The course of bereavement can be particularly problematic when a death is sudden, unexpected, and untimely (Stroebe (Si Schut, 2001). Deaths caused by a disaster inevitably fit these criteria. If multiple deaths are involved, if bodies are mutilated or unrecovered, if children are among the fatalities, and if the survivors witnessed horrific events, and/or blamed themselves or others, then the process of bereavement becomes even more complex and difficult. Losses of property, homes, and livelihood, together with the social disorganization and continuing dangers that often follow disasters, add to the burden. It follows that psychological help from outside the family, often from outside the disasterstricken community, and sometimes from outside the country, will be needed and should be given priority by caring services, both professional and voluntary.In this chapter, 1 draw on experience and published research to identify the principal variables that influence the reaction of people bereaved by disasters and to examine the interventions that can be expected before, during, and after a disaster to reduce the risk of lasting problems in individuals, families, communities, and nations.

The transformative meanings of viewing or not viewing the body after sudden death

“…Awareness of verbal and non-verbal cues indicating arousal is needed. It is important to assess their capacity or readiness to hear information, take steps to tune in and engage with the person, slow down the process, and pace exposure by giving information in graduated stages (Harms, 2007;Parkes, 2008).…”

De store teoriers fald - Træk af sorgteori gennem tiden

“…Sorg-teori har bevaeget sig vaek fra de simple modeller til meget sofistikerede og vidspektrede tilgange (Parkes, 2008). De nyere sorgteorier har grobund i evidensbaseret forskning og forståelsen af sorg udvikler sig mod en højere grad af kompleksitet og differentieret behandling.…”

Novel Application of Skills for Psychological Recovery as an Early Intervention for Violent Loss: Rationale and Case Examples

“…In a commentary on responding to grief and trauma in the aftermath of disasters, Parkes (2015) notes that one of the major objectives of early intervention in situations involving violent loss is to ensure that vulnerable individuals are provided with appropriate help managing the precursors of psychiatric problems. Affectively and cognitively, these precursors may include anxiety and fear responses, helplessness, anger, shame, perceived social isolation, and/or guilt (Parkes, 2008). So, early intervention may include outreach from providers who recognize such precursors before a formal psychiatric condition emerges.…”