Treating Grief with Saam Acupuncture / Meditation

This is an introduction for the treatment of grief using a traditional Korean Acupuncture protocol. Saam Acupuncture / Meditation is use of meditation upon the acupuncture point prescription of Saam’s Lung channel to engage and direct the patient’s mind in channeling grief. The author has found this to be highly effective for remedying pathological grief as it gives control to the patient to meditate upon the acupuncture points both in and out of clinic when grief overwhelms.

Bereavement

The phenomena and trajectory of mourning as a normal adaptive process are differentiated from clinical depression, avoidant and complicated grief, post-traumatic distress disorder, and other forms of pathological grief. Anticipatory grief can be a particular challenge during palliative care. The family is recognized as the major source of social support and the environment in which grief is shared with others. Key risk factors for pathological bereavement outcomes can be identified on admission to palliative care, permitting preventive models of psychological care to be used through palliative care into bereavement. Models of therapy include supportive-expressive, interpersonal, cognitive behavioural, family focused, and specific therapy for complicated grief. Pharmacotherapy can judiciously accompany psychotherapy. Life-cycle issues include bereaved children, siblings, parents, and grief for the very elderly. Grief can be stigmatized and ambiguous in special circumstances, yet positive growth is a desirable outcome from any loss.

Inclusion of the other in the self as a potential risk factor for prolonged grief disorder: A comparison of patients with matched bereaved healthy controls

Pathological grief has received increasing attention in recent years, as about A10% of the bereaved suffer from one kind it. Pathological grief in the form of Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a relatively new diagnostic category which has been introduced into the ICD-11 beta version in 2018. To date, various risk and protective factors, as well as treatment options for pathological grief, have been proposed. Nevertheless, empirical evidence in that area is still scarce. Our aim was to identify the impact interpersonal closeness with the deceased has on bereavement outcome.Interpersonal closeness with the deceased in 54 participants (27 patients suffering from PGD and 27 bereaved healthy controls) was assessed as the overlap of pictured identities via the Inclusion of the Other in the Self Scale (IOS-scale). In addition to that, data on PGD symptomatology, general mental distress, and depression were collected.Patients suffering from PGD reported higher inclusion of the deceased in the self. By contrast, they reported feeling less close towards another living close person. Results of the IOS-scale were associated with PGD-severity, general mental distress, and depression. Inclusion of the deceased in the self is a significant statistical predictor for PGD-caseness.

Being pro-active in meeting the needs of suicide-bereaved survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

Background Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women. Results Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first 2 months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

Background: Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100 000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods: Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women.Results: Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions: Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

Two Cases of Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder Diagnosed in the Acute Inpatient Unit

Pathological grief has been noted to have considerable adverse effects on affected individuals. In the DSM-5, the diagnosis of complicated grief is included under conditions for further study as Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD). PCBD can be easily missed because it is a relatively new and developing diagnosis. It can also be overlooked when it is comorbid with more common psychiatric disorders. We present 2 patients with PCBD diagnosed in the inpatient unit, while the patients were admitted for comorbid disorders. PCBD contributed immensely to both patients’ suffering and decline in functioning. This report highlights the presentation, diagnoses, and management of these patients. We theorize that paying attention to separation distress, reactive distress to loss, and identity disruption in individuals who have been bereaved for over 12 months will enhance treatment specificity and lead to better patient outcomes.

Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montreal

Background Suicide is a major public health concern that affects some 3,500 individuals a year in Canada. According to the literature, each suicide affects an average of six people. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to formulate postvention recommendations. Methods In the context of an exploratory mixed-methods audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors ( n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to assess pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Results Mean age of participants was 57.7 years; 23 were women. Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions Although there have been provincial initiatives in favor of suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a provincial suicide pre/postvention strategy.

The importance of harmonising diagnostic criteria sets for pathological grief

Summary Five diagnostic criteria sets for pathological grief are currently used in research. Studies evaluating their performance indicate that it is not justified to generalise findings regarding prevalence rates and predictive validity across studies using different diagnostic criteria of pathological grief. We provide recommendations to move the bereavement field forward.

La realidad virtual como herramienta comunicacional en el proceso de duelo / Virtual reality as a communication tool in the grieving process

ABSTRACTIn this research work, the authors intend to introduce an approach to the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies, as a tool for the therapeutic treatment of psychological problems and more specifically in the accompaniment of grief. The study is divided into three blocks in which the researchers try to frame the current conception of the term virtual reality, the concept of non-pathological grief and how today's society faces the loss of a loved one and their grieving process. It also addresses how current legislation in the field of data protection, affects the subject of research.RESUMENEn este trabajo de investigación, los autores pretenden introducir una aproximación al uso de las tecnologías de realidad virtual (RV), como herramienta para el tratamiento terapéutico de problemas psicológicos y más concretamente en el acompañamiento de duelo. El estudio se divide en tres bloques en los que los investigadores tratan de enmarcar la concepción actual del término realidad virtual, el concepto del duelo no patológico y cómo la sociedad actual se enfrenta a la pérdida de un ser querido y su proceso de duelo. También se aborda cómo la legislación vigente en el campo de la protección de datos, incide sobre el tema de la investigación.