Article

Narratives and Story Telling in Coping with Grief and Bereavement

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Abstract

My daughter was a normal, healthy young lady, looking forward to becoming a teenager. Then, a strange sensation appeared in the muscle of her upper arm and everything changed! She waged the toughest battle of her life, but died of cancer in the middle of her thirteenth year. How does a mother cope with so tragic a loss? I told and retold the story. I talked about how we faced the chemo, the pain, and the fear together, about the fun we had, about the impact on our family, about the final days on the wish trip, about her death, about her friends, about the support of our faith community. I shared with all who would listen and, gradually, the storytelling helped me to make sense of things, to cope with the gaping hole in my world, to find a new normal for myself, to move on. My daughter stills lives—in eternity, in my memory, in the life I live as a result of having been her mom for those thirteen and a half years, and in the stories—hers, mine, ours.

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... O uso de narrativas e relatos de histórias sobre o luto para facilitar o processo de elaboração (Bostiocco & Thompson, 2005) também foi explorado, considerando o papel desses recursos na construção de sentido e expressão da visão de mundo. Nesse sentido, as autoras mencionadas recuperaram aportes teóricos com o propósito de articulá-los com a prática, atendo-se à concepção dos aspectos projetivos envolvi dos na tarefa e na potencial contribuição para compreensão da unidade de sentido. ...
... Ainda que esse tema esteja recebendo pouca atenção nas investigações científicas, os estudos analisados permitiram delinear um panorama do cuidado aos familiares enlutados no contexto da oncologia pediátrica, em diferentes países e culturas, oferecendo indícios valiosos sobre o impacto da cultura na experiência e elaboração do processo de luto e a importância de se observarem tais aspectos na formulação de políticas e serviços de saúde. Notou-se, nas publicações, a ênfase nas intervenções que se materializam após o óbito do paciente (Alam et al., 2012;Bostiocco & Thompson, 2005;Carrington & Bogetz, 2004;deCinque et al., 2004;Kacel et al., 2011;Nehari et al., 2007;Packman et al., 2008), porém também se destacaram possibilidades diversificadas de atenção aos familiares, que abrangem ações preventivas (Abernethy et al., 2007;Bostiocco & Thompson, 2005;Clark et al., 2011;Foster et al., 2009;Hinds et al., 2004;Kreicbergs et al., 2005Kreicbergs et al., , 2007Lannen et al., 2008;Liu & Lai, 2006;Peteet et al., 2010;Tadmor, 2004) e serviços de transição entre o contexto hospitalar de cuidado e a comunidade (D'Agostino et al., 2008;deCinque et al., 2006;Stein et al., 2006). ...
... Ainda que esse tema esteja recebendo pouca atenção nas investigações científicas, os estudos analisados permitiram delinear um panorama do cuidado aos familiares enlutados no contexto da oncologia pediátrica, em diferentes países e culturas, oferecendo indícios valiosos sobre o impacto da cultura na experiência e elaboração do processo de luto e a importância de se observarem tais aspectos na formulação de políticas e serviços de saúde. Notou-se, nas publicações, a ênfase nas intervenções que se materializam após o óbito do paciente (Alam et al., 2012;Bostiocco & Thompson, 2005;Carrington & Bogetz, 2004;deCinque et al., 2004;Kacel et al., 2011;Nehari et al., 2007;Packman et al., 2008), porém também se destacaram possibilidades diversificadas de atenção aos familiares, que abrangem ações preventivas (Abernethy et al., 2007;Bostiocco & Thompson, 2005;Clark et al., 2011;Foster et al., 2009;Hinds et al., 2004;Kreicbergs et al., 2005Kreicbergs et al., , 2007Lannen et al., 2008;Liu & Lai, 2006;Peteet et al., 2010;Tadmor, 2004) e serviços de transição entre o contexto hospitalar de cuidado e a comunidade (D'Agostino et al., 2008;deCinque et al., 2006;Stein et al., 2006). ...
Article
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Compreende-se luto como a vivência de pesar diante de alguma perda, que exige a reorganização dos papéis familiares e projetos de vida. A assistência aos familiares enlutados é essencial para a elaboração da perda do ente querido e prevenção de danos à saúde emocional. O objetivo desta revisão integrativa é analisar a produção científica sobre a atenção psicossocial especializada oferecida a familiares enlutados no cenário da oncologia pediátrica. Foram analisados 20 artigos publicados entre 2002 e 2013 e recuperados nas bases BVS, PsycINFO e SciELO, com os descritores: neoplasias, família, luto/pesar e consternação. Os resultados permitiram caracterizar o panorama do cuidado oferecido a familiares enlutados em diferentes contextos. Destacaram- se ações preventivas, serviços de transição e medidas de apoio após a perda. Neste artigo, consideram-se os potenciais riscos para o desenvolvimento dos irmãos enlutados e o possível comprometimento do relacionamento conjugal, e são propostas algumas reflexões visando à ampliação dos modelos de atenção psicossocial.
... Storytelling was found to enable terminally ill cancer patients and their families to process the diagnosis (DeSanto-Madeya et al., 2021) and helped to support bereaved parents through their mourning processes (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005; Xiu et al., 2020). ...
... There is some evidence that reading can support the finding of meaning in individuals (Billington, 2019). Creative engagement was found to facilitate a sense of meaning in people with cancer (Visser & Op 't Hoog, 2008) and mental health difficulties (Hilse et al., 2007), and supported bereaved parents in sense-making (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). Digital story making supported critical thinking and offered the opportunity to think deeply about a topic or theme among minority youth, which proved supportive in youth health promotion (Fletcher & Mullett, 2016). ...
... There is also evidence that participation in creative activities facilitates a sense of meaning in people with cancer (Visser & Op 't Hoog, 2008) and in those suffering from mental illness (Hilse et al., 2007), and supports sense-making in bereaved parents (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). This is not far from current discussions within the EU. ...
Technical Report
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There is a growing awareness in the European Union (EU) of the critical role of culture and the arts in improving health and well-being at both the individual and collective level. Concurrently, the ambition to harness the positive effects of cultural approaches to well-being is growing at the policy level. Yet, designing sustainable interventions at a policy level that reliably implement a change of approach and strategy at practitioner level is no trivial task. This requires knowledge of recent developments in methods and evidence across disciplines, and an empirically based understanding of the enablers and barriers in the implementation of existing interventions with the aim of transforming approaches. The research covering this field is vast, rapidly expanding and highly interdisciplinary. This scoping review aims to narrow the gap between the fast-growing knowledge on the positive impact of culture and arts on human health and well-being, and the policies at EU level. The aim of this scoping review is to synthesise existing evidence on the positive effect of arts and cultural activities on health and well-being. This means the review is not limited to a few research questions but seeks to provide a clear indication of the volume of existing literature, the key concepts, focus points and the types of studies that exist. It also identifies knowledge gaps in the existing literature. Finally, it gathers policy recommendations and identifies challenges, further expanding the scope of the report beyond the proposed policy directions and specific policy measures. This scoping review is carried out within the framework of the CultureForHealth project and responds to the criteria set out in the guidelines of the Preparatory Action – Bottom-Up Policy Development for Culture & Well-being in the EU, launched by the European Union (European Union, 2020).
... 33). Lack of communication about feelings of grief and loss after death often impair one's grief glidepath and psychological functioning (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Shear et al., 2017). As Downs (1993) explains most succinctly, "Each time I tell my story it occupies less space and grief in my soul" (p. ...
... This runs contrary to the traditionally accepted Western cultural view of grief, which views grieving as a highly private and largely intrapsychic process, and often couches stories of grief as taboo (Barney & Yoshimura, 2020;Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Kauer & Keeley, 2019). A social constructionist model of grieving, whereby grief is seen as being intricately social and highly dependent on specific "societal, cultural, and era-bound environs and norms," is much more reflective of the actual co-creation of grief (Neimeyer et al., 2014b, p. 493). ...
... perda representar a ausência do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Hallam & Hockey, 2001;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar objetivos das pessoas referências bibliográficas representar sofrimento pelo luto Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) memória registrar representação do falecido (Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar identidade do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar histórias sobre o falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Carroll & Landry, 2010;Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar consultar registar linha do tempo do falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) compartilhar consultar registrar relacionamento com o falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) lembrar compartilhar lembrar do falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) comunicação para falecido expressar homenagem ao falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013) Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) expressar sentimentos ao enlutado Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011 ...
... perda representar a ausência do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Hallam & Hockey, 2001;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar objetivos das pessoas referências bibliográficas representar sofrimento pelo luto Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) memória registrar representação do falecido (Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar identidade do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar histórias sobre o falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Carroll & Landry, 2010;Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar consultar registar linha do tempo do falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) compartilhar consultar registrar relacionamento com o falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) lembrar compartilhar lembrar do falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) comunicação para falecido expressar homenagem ao falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013) Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) expressar sentimentos ao enlutado Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011 ...
Article
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Designers unfamiliar with grief often have difficulty to design user interface of online memorial systems. It is difficult to understand grief coping process and how it relates to these systems use. This work presents possible relations between typical goals of people in coping with grief and features and information in online memorials. Objectives were identified by literature review, while features and information were identified by content analysis of the user interface of 20 online memorial systems. The possible relations interpreted by authors can be used as an epistemic tool by designers of online memorial interfaces.
... perda representar a ausência do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Hallam & Hockey, 2001;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar objetivos das pessoas referências bibliográficas representar sofrimento pelo luto Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) memória registrar representação do falecido (Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar identidade do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar histórias sobre o falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Carroll & Landry, 2010;Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar consultar registar linha do tempo do falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) compartilhar consultar registrar relacionamento com o falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) lembrar compartilhar lembrar do falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) comunicação para falecido expressar homenagem ao falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013) Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) expressar sentimentos ao enlutado Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011 ...
... perda representar a ausência do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Hallam & Hockey, 2001;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar objetivos das pessoas referências bibliográficas representar sofrimento pelo luto Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) memória registrar representação do falecido (Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar identidade do falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2011;Riechers, 2013) compartilhar consultar registrar histórias sobre o falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Carroll & Landry, 2010;Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) compartilhar consultar registar linha do tempo do falecido (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Massimi & Baecker, 2011) compartilhar consultar registrar relacionamento com o falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Lopes et al., 2014;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) lembrar compartilhar lembrar do falecido Gray & Coulton, 2013;Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013;Valentine, 2008) comunicação para falecido expressar homenagem ao falecido Carroll & Landry, 2010;Massimi & Baecker, 2010;Riechers, 2013) Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011Riechers, 2013) expressar sentimentos ao enlutado Massimi & Baecker, 2010, 2011 ...
... In telling a story, people create links between themselves and the world of others. It is a means of creating order and temporal sequences for life events (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). The physical act of journaling, as in writing a blog, is therapeutic, as it involves every aspect of the person. ...
... It requires the physical mechanics of the body, through writing and the concentration of the mind to recall events (Snyder, 2006). Journaling or writing blogs is, by its nature, cathartic for the writer, allowing emotions to be released (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Snyder, & Lindquist, 2006;Uys, 2014). Encouraging journaling or writing as a form of interpreting emotions, witnessing thoughts, and recording them will foster increased Personal Intelligence (PI). ...
Article
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Liberation is the act of setting free from internal and social oppression (Afuape, 2011), in 2019 it was the Liberation Trail fire that raged through our place, turning the living essence of our livelihood, and belongings to dust. The dust had barely settled when the torrential rains drenched the remains, weeping over the ashes. These ashes were not just of things, houses, and furniture, but also of trees, ferns, and animals of all sizes. Next, it was isolation and fear that arose from the ashes in the form of Coronavirus (COVID-19 virus). Isolating people from the natural environment and from each other. Through these transmutations, we relied upon the resilient nature of the human spirit to survive. This autoethnographic story explores human resilience in the face of personal and global loss. The power of storytelling is an ancient tradition, stemming from a human need to make meaning of the lived experience. Each person who tells a story speaks from their ‘biographical position’ and is unique as the storyteller (Denzin, 2014). Stories, or narratives, assisted in the survival of cultures by retelling warnings of potential threats. They are intrinsic to all cultures, whether they are written or verbal. The act of storytelling can impart a metaphysical presence that can provide a sense of spirituality in the communication process (Snyder & Lindquist, 2006; Uys, 2014). Storytelling has been described as an expression of human consciousness and as such, can guide the person towards healing the spirit, and liberating from trauma (Carter,2019).
... People found them often light and funny, but also emotional and sometimes sad. Storytelling has long been a means by which we cope with difficult life circumstancesmaking sense and finding meaning of life's challenging times (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Rolbiecki et al., 2021). In this way, the Moving Stories invert some of the stereotypes seen on screen which have contributed to the development of unhelpful dementia discourses. ...
... This is a collaborative version of the way that stories are constructed by individuals. Stories are often a collection of events, exchanges, and emotions, but storytelling gives these context and provides a narrative structure that listeners are familiar with and recognise as coherent (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). It also enabled the co-construction of new life narratives, reflecting changed selfhoods. ...
Article
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Creative expression by people living with dementia and their families and carers can improve communication and relationships and strengthen relational personhood. The transition to residential aged care from living at home with dementia is a time of ‘relocation stress”, and a time when additional psychosocial supports like these might be particularly beneficial. This article reports on a qualitative study that explored how a co-operative filmmaking project functioned as a multifaceted psychosocial intervention, and explored its potential impacts on relocation stressors. Methods included interviews with people living with dementia who were involved in the filmmaking, and their families and close others. Staff from a local day centre and residential aged care home also took part in interviews, as did the filmmakers. The researchers also observed some of the filmmaking process. Reflexive thematic analysis techniques were used to generate three key themes in the data: Relationship building; Communicating agency, memento and heart; Being visible and inclusive. The findings reveal challenges regarding privacy and the ethics of public screenings, as well as the pragmatics of using short films as a communication tool in aged care settings. We conclude that filmmaking as a cooperative endeavour holds promise to mitigate relocation stressors by: improving family and other relationships during challenging times for family and for people living with dementia; providing opportunities for new self-narratives derived from relational subjectivities; supporting visibility and personhood; and improving communication once in residential aged care. This research has relevance for communities who are looking to support dynamic personhood and improve the care of people living with dementia.
... Although relatively nascent in health promotion and education (Gubrium, 2009;Boydell et al., 2012;Lal et al., 2015;Gubrium et al., 2016), digital story creation is gaining momentum as a method in health care research (Beltrán & Begun, 2014;Lang et al., 2019;Rieger et al., 2021) and more specifically in palliative care research (Akard et al., 2016;Williams et al., 2017). For our purposes, we were also interested in the literature that captured the power of storytelling and digital story creation for those grieving a death-related loss (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Gilbert, 2002;Rolbiecki et al., 2017Rolbiecki et al., , 2021aRolbiecki et al., , 2021b ...
... Storytelling has long been used in grief and bereavement explorations as it provides opportunities for sensemaking (Gilbert, 2002), catharsis (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005), continuing bonds (Valentine, 2008), and meaning-making when processing a loss (Gillies & Neimeyer, 2006). The concept of meaning-making is relevant in grief explorations as it is the process by which the bereaved come to understand, navigate, and make sense of their loss (Supriano, 2019). ...
Article
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The purpose of our qualitative health research study was to understand the experiences of Ontarians who accompanied someone throughout their dying process using medical assistance in dying (MAiD). The second phase used digital stories as a method to examine and share these experiences at the end of life. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we faced a pivot to our original plan. This pivot resulted in reinforcing the myriad benefits of using digital storytelling in qualitative health research. And rather than detracting from the initial study, we also learned that digital storytelling is a flexible method that can be creatively, compassionately, and effectively conducted in virtual spaces. We will employ digital storytelling in future qualitative health research as both a component of studies but also as a conduit for explorations of other tools of data collection and dissemination.
... What remains unaddressed in the literature is exploring the temporal aspects of empathic responsiveness in psychologically painful situations. The literature suggests that an accurate understanding of psychological pain could lead to preventing its dire consequences, such as mental health breakdown or even suicide (Bosticco and Thompson, 2005;Mee et al., 2006). This knowledge could not be gained without studying how this type of pain is perceived and processed in the brain. ...
... This effect is likely the result of remembering one's own experiences accompanied by associated emotions (Hoffman, 2001). However, when encountering a person experiencing the agony of grief, most people would be motivated to help in preventing the life-threating consequences of complicated grief (Bosticco and Thompson, 2005;Mee et al., 2006;Goodrum, 2008). As de Waal (2010, p. 124) stated, "advanced empathy requires both mental mirroring and mental separation"; therefore, to efficiently help someone who needs us, one needs to be aware of self-other boundaries and mentally separate their emotional state from the other individual to behave empathically. ...
Article
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Previous research suggests that prior experience of pain affects the expression of empathy. However, most of these studies attended to physical pain despite evidence indicating that other forms of pain may also affect brain activity and emotional states in similar ways. To address this limitation, we compared empathic responses of 33 participants, some of whom had experienced a personal loss, across three conditions: observing strangers in physical pain, psychological pain, and a non-painful condition. We also examined the effect of presence of prior painful experience on empathic reactions. In addition, we examined the stimulation type, prior experience, and ERPs in the early Late Positive Potential (300–550 ms), late Late Positive Potential (550–800 ms), and very late Late Positive Potential (VLLPP; 800–1,050 ms) time windows. Behavioral data indicated that participants who had personally experienced a loss scored significantly higher on perspective taking in the psychological-pain condition. ERP results also indicated significantly lower intensity in Fp2, an electrode in the prefrontal region, within VLLPP time window for participants experiencing a loss in the psychological-pain condition. The results of both behavioral and ERP analysis indicated that prior experience of psychological pain is related to cognitive empathy, but not affective empathy. The implication of these findings for research on empathy, for the study of psychological pain, and the moderating influence of prior painful experiences are discussed.
... For many, creating a story about their experience of loss is a way to acknowledge pain, speak freely about grief, and make meaning of their experience Lichtenthal, Neimeyer, Currier, Roberts, & Jordan, 2013;Lichtenthal et al., 2015;Nadeau, 2001;Neimeyer, 2000;Neimeyer, Baldwin, & Gillies, 2006). Interventions providing the bereaved with an opportunity to tell and retell the story of their loss can be highly effective in terms of reducing symptoms of complicated grieving, which is an intense form of grief that impacts one's ability to function in their normal day-to-day life (Barnato et al., 2017;Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Rosner, 2015). Moreover, grief experts advise that individuals who can communicate feelings of grief and talk openly about the death, as one does when telling a story, fare better than those who do not have the opportunity to process their loss (Alderfer et al., 2010). ...
... Storytelling has long been used as a supportive tool for people who have experienced adverse life events, allowing them to process their emotions through narratives (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Nadeau, 2001). Research has shown that having a physical artifact (e.g., a photo, a script, etc.) can facilitate storytelling and sharing of emotional experiences, breaking the verbal barrier and promoting open communication (Rolbiecki, Anderson, Teti, & Albright, 2016;Rolbiecki, Washington, & Bitsicas, 2017;Teti, Rolbiecki, Zhang, Hampton, & Binson, 2016). ...
Article
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Fourteen (N = 14) bereaved family members participated in an exploratory study of Digital Storytelling as a bereavement intervention. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of this approach and to qualitatively assess potential impacts. Qualitative data revealed that for some, participation in Digital Storytelling facilitated growth and meaning-making. Themes from the data also revealed that participation in Digital Storytelling affected participants in these ways: (a) the writing and verbalization of the script helped participants organize their thoughts and emotions about the loss, (b) having the space to share with a collective group encouraged confidence in their ability to discuss their feelings with others, and (c) the final product served as a source of closure for participants. Although this was a small exploratory study, results were promising and suggest the clinical applicability of Digital Storytelling as a tool for facilitating meaning-making among bereaved family members.
... Grief and loss are not only psychological processes but manifest themselves through communication, especially within the family itself (Barboza & Seedall, 2021;Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). How death is communicated varies across the films. ...
... has had on one's personal and/or professional life creates an outlet for staff to make meaning of their loss, look out for one another, and bond over commonalities (Bosticco and Thompson 2005;Klass et al. 1996;Vachon 1995). ...
Article
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Objectives While caring for seriously ill children is a rewarding experience, pediatric healthcare providers may experience sadness and emotional distress when their patient dies. These feelings, particularly when not addressed, can lead to negative health and occupational outcomes. Remembrance practices can provide a safe space for staff to process their grief. This study explored pediatric healthcare providers’ perceptions of an annual Pediatric Remembrance Ceremony (PRC) and a quarterly program, Good Grief and Chocolate at Noon (GGCN), to learn what components of the programs were considered meaningful and the personal impact on those who attended. The programs pivoted to a virtual platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the study also assessed providers’ perspectives of attending the programs virtually. MethodsA 19 multiple choice survey instrument was designed, reviewed, piloted, revised, and re-piloted by an interdisciplinary bereavement committee prior to administration. The survey included 2 open-ended questions, inviting additional insights into personal impact and future directions for remembrance programs. The survey was administered on an encrypted online platform. ResultsComponents of the PRC respondents most valued included the opportunity for staff to choose a name of a patient they cared for and to light a candle for that patient as their name is read. Those who participated in GGCN found story sharing helpful, along with having a speaker address a topic around loss and grief during the second half of the session. Both programs provided reflection, solidarity, and memorialization. Most respondents prefer having both in-person and virtual options. Significance of resultsHealthcare providers are affected by the death of the children they care for and value opportunities provided to join colleagues in remembering their patients. The findings underscore the value of remembrance programs in supporting bereaved staff.
... Grief and loss are not only psychological processes but manifest themselves through communication, especially within the family itself (Barboza & Seedall, 2021;Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). How death is communicated varies across the films. ...
Article
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Early parental loss is a tragic experience for children causing complex reactions to the loss. Providing a supportive environment where they can express their feelings is crucial to help them cope with this challenging experience. This study analyses the depiction of parental death in animated films by Disney and Pixar using a multimethod design and including the QUAGOL approach. We identified 13 films showing the death of one or both parents. The qualitative analysis of the films, published from 1937 until 2022, revealed seven concepts that potentially affect the way children see their grieving process reflected in the films: The representational techniques, finding protection and relationships, searching for identity, being different and having alternative skills, talking about death, dealing with emotions and coping with the loss. The identified films can be used to open a conversation with children who have lost one or both parents to discuss their situation.
... Recently, research points to the positive association between FCs and the outcomes of coping and personal growth following the death of a loved one (Generous & Keeley, 2021b, 2022. Grief after loss does not happen in a vacuum, it is not independent of other factors including relationships and culture (Barney & Yoshimura, 2020;Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Neimeyer et al., 2014), therefore we extend the work of FCs and coping to investigate from a communal perspective in the EoL process. ...
Article
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This study examines adult children’s loss of a parent through final conversations and communal coping. By looking at survivors’ experiences through the lens of the opportunity model for presence (OMP) during the end-of-life (EOL) process, a model that provides a path of engagement leading to a good or bad death and consequent bereavement processes, we quantitatively test the relationships between two communication constructs before and after death of a parent. While final conversations as one construct did not lead to appraisal or action coping, results illustrate that final conversation topics of identity, instrumental, love, and everyday talk, were significantly related to shared appraisal. Instrumental talk and love were significantly related to joint action. Joint action and shared appraisal together led to participants engaging in all three types of coping. Final conversations as a whole, was important for bereavement outcomes, whereas communal coping’s role in these relationships was convoluted.
... Tuval-Mashiach et al. (2004) point out that three factors are important for effective coping (continuity and coherence, creation of meaning, self-evaluation) and that they can be created with narratives. In addition, many other researchers point out that narrative is useful in coping processes and that the two are closely related (Kelley and Clifford, 1997;Carlick and Biley, 2004;Bosticco and Thompson, 2005;Odachowska et al., 2019;Green et al., 2020). Based on this information, we formed the following H2 hypothesis. ...
... It has been long noted that the story-telling and sharing the narratives of loss is a tried and true way to cope with grief (Bosticco, & Thompson, 2005;De Fina, & Georgakopoulou, 2015). Perhaps, this is not surprising, as the stories help people to make sense of the world, and it is in the times of bereavement when this search for meaning becomes the most acute. ...
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This article explores gendered narratives of grief for fallen servicemen and women in the course of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine after February, 24 2022. While the public image of a soldier typically represents a plethora of traditionally masculine features, the public nature of the private grief in the age of digitalization challenges this image. Moreover, a rather significant participation of women in combat roles adds to the distortion of the traditional expressions of grief in a public space. Another prominent factor is the sheer scale of invasion and the proximity of the soldiers to the civilians, which forges the bonds of micro-solidarities and changes the perception of the military. Drawing on the narrative analysis of the public expressions of grief in the social media, this text explores how the decentralization of grief granted by the social media and the changed demographical landscape among the soldiers are echoed in the process of mourning online. This article focuses solely on the death of the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the volunteers who died as the result of the military action and does not touch upon the death of Russian servicemen and/or deaths of the soldiers and volunteers that occurred beyond the combat zone and military action.
... Several authors (Bosticco and Thompson, 2005;Nelson et al., 2022;Ratcliffe and Byrne, 2022) have established that narrative interactions are crucial to alleviate the distress and feeling of loss in grief. By narrating, we eventually try to reinvigorate personally significant possibilities, in short, to regain hope. ...
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Recent research has drawn attention to the prevalence of self-reported autism within online communities of involuntary celibates (incels). These studies suggest that some individuals with autism may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of incel forums and the hopelessness they generate. However, a more precise description of the experiential connection between inceldom, self-reported autism, and hopelessness has remained unarticulated. Therefore, this article combines empirical studies on the incel community with phenomenological and embodiment approaches to autism, hopelessness, and online affectivity. We analyze three interrelated aspects of online interactions in incel communities – worldview, bodily self-relation, and mutual dismissals – and examine how these elements contribute to the consolidation of the loss of significant life possibilities. By investigating the potential negative influence of specific online environments on affective dispositions, our approach contributes to the debate on current challenges to “situate” phenomenological psychopathology.
... 8 Telling one's story of loss to an interested listener can provide a vehicle for processing feelings of grief to make room for adjustment and loss reconciliation. 9 End-of-life doulas are specifically trained to bear witness, without direction or judgment, to the stories and experiences of others, particularly during intense times of their lives. [10][11][12] Rather than providing a therapeutic intervention with the goal of ''fixing'' or ''curing,'' doulas provide a safe welcoming space for the sharing of experiences, without prescribed prompting or facilitated analysis. ...
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Background: Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic limited how family, friends, and clinicians physically interacted with people who were dying and decreased communal opportunities for processing grief. These barriers can cause or exacerbate suffering due to loneliness while grieving. Purpose: In this article, we describe the protocol for a brief storytelling intervention designed to reduce loneliness among families, friends, and clinicians grieving the death of a person during the time of COVID-19. Methods: We trained four StoryListening doulas (SLDs) to hold a welcoming space and listen to stories with curiosity and openness. The intervention included a video StoryListening session and two brief questionnaires, filled out before and two weeks after the encounter, assessing loneliness and quality of life. During sessions, SLDs invited participants to share their story of loss in their own words and in as much detail as preferred. When participants felt a sense of story completion, SLDs shared validating statements and expressed gratitude to the participant for sharing. The video and audio for each participant's StoryListening encounter were recorded and the participant was offered an audio copy of their session.
... Tuval-Mashiach et al. (2004) point out that three factors are important for effective coping (continuity and coherence, creation of meaning, self-evaluation) and that they can be created with narratives. In addition, many other researchers point out that narrative is useful in coping processes and that the two are closely related (Kelley and Clifford, 1997;Carlick and Biley, 2004;Bosticco and Thompson, 2005;Odachowska et al., 2019;Green et al., 2020). Based on this information, we formed the following H2 hypothesis. ...
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This study investigates the effect of coping strategies on risky investment intention, together with narratives and phantasy which are important concepts of emotional finance. Coping strategies are a conscious process that has an impact on financial decisions that cause stress in individuals. Phantasy is unconscious process and its effect on financial decisions has been shown in previous studies. Narratives are closely related to coping strategies and phantasy. In this context, this study is the first to investigate the effects of both conscious and unconscious processes on financial decision-making. In this study, a positive relationship was found between coping strategies and risky investment intentions. There are positive relationships between coping strategies and narrative and phantasy. At the same time, narrative has a mediating effect on the relationship between coping strategies and phantasy. In addition, the mediating effect of phantasy was determined in the relationship between coping strategies and risky investment intentions.
... The important element to this chapter is that mourning is an expression. Individuals express their emotions during bereavement in a variety of ways, not the least of which is death communication or sharing their feelings of loss with others through narrative and storytelling (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Doveling, 2105;Gamba, 2018;Marcu, 2007;Rime et al., 1998). Research has shown these types of communication help with coping and readjustment to life without the deceased (Hogan et al., 1996;Tomita & Kitamura, 2002). ...
... Multiple authors have addressed the impact of death in the family and the specific effects of the death of a child (Bosticco & Thompson 2005;Widger & Wilkins, 2004). Supporting families after such a life changing event is a challenge. ...
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This qualitative study explores the perceptions of impact associated with engaging in a therapeutic recreation-based bereavement camp for families whose child has died from serious illness. Interviews were completed with 12 parents who had participated in a three-camp cycle of the program over 12-month period, including a subgroup who had also attended a reunion camp. Interviews were also conducted with program staff. Thematic analysis generated key themes relating to the perceived impact which suggest that those engaged in this program perceived positive contributions associated with participation, including perceptions of positive impact on coping with bereavement, access to support and implications for family functioning. This study highlights the areas of impact associated with engagement in a therapeutic recreation-based bereavement intervention, and the potential contribution of wider access to these programs for families whose child has died from serious illness.
... Because of the nature of the death (being a car accident where reports have to be drafted), the father had to reconstruct the events of his child's death in a coherent form. Bosticco (2005) claims that the father "…reconstructed the tale of the evening of his son's death, story by story over several months". Despite being considered a somewhat intrusive experience, Ross (1997, p.199) claims that sharing 'moment memories' with people which then act as a coping mechanism. ...
Research
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The current paper explores the role of narrativity and storytelling in overcoming grief. Grief is defined as a meaning and sense making process and the paper highlights how during the course of funerals held in Muslim households a communal narrative for collective bereavement is created through ritualised storytelling.
... Papers describe the process of 'making wishes' (Fraser et al 2010) but the general focus has been on wishes and choices of treatment and place of care. Others describe memories in relation to bereavement or extending a child's life (Bosticco & Thompson 2005). Regardless of the time they have left, parents strive to build as many memories as possible whilst the child is alive, to draw on these memories in bereavement. ...
Thesis
Children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions are living longer due to medical advances and increasing options for health care intervention. This makes discussions about choices of care more complicated and engagement in the process of advance care planning ever more complex. A scoping review revealed that current understanding of parents’ experience of advance care planning is limited. Through a constructivist grounded theory approach this study aimed to deepen our understanding of the contextual and relational complexities of advance care planning for parents of children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Methods combined open ended, semi-structured interviews and examination of advance care plans. Thirteen parents were interviewed, nine who were parents of children receiving palliative care and four parents of children who had died. Transcripts of digitally recorded interviews and nine advance care plans were analysed through a constant comparative approach. The study identified three conceptual components of realisation, reconciling multiple tensions and building confidence and asserting control, which revealed the experience of re-constructing meaning for parents as they engaged in the process of advance care planning. Re-constructing meaning through advance care planning enabled parents to re-adjust their thoughts, beliefs and expectations in response to ongoing changes in their child’s condition and a life anticipated without their child. The study has generated deeper understanding of parents’ experience of advance care planning and that advance care planning conversations are essential in supporting parents to live with uncertainty and the growing possibility of their child’s death. The study challenges health care professionals to reframe their approach to advance care planning; from being a record of decisions about do-not-resuscitate and treatment options, to a continuous, relational conversation about choices of care that enables parents to re-construct meaning. By fostering an approach that recognises the re-adjustments made to their values and beliefs, health care professionals can improve the experience for parents and help them to reflect on and manage the complexity and contradictions embedded within the advance care planning process for their child.
... However, the process of telling one's story of loss could also help with the grieving process. 30,31 In the future, administering follow-up tools online or by post, in addition to telephone interviews, may be useful. ...
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BACKGROUND: Persistent psychological distress occurs frequently in family members of patients who die in an intensive care unit (ICU). OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of bereavement interventions in reducing persisting psychological distress in bereaved family members after death in an adult ICU. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that assessed the effect of bereavement interventions on persisting psychological distress in bereaved family members of ICU patients. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE and APA Psycinfo databases were searched until April 2020. REVIEW METHODS: Two of us independently screened titles and abstracts of identified studies, and then completed full text evaluation of selected studies. We assessed risk of bias using version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, which is designed to assess the quality of non-randomised studies in meta-analyses. We also used random effects meta-analysis to assess the effect of various interventions on total Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. RESULTS: From 664 citations, five studies were included — three multicentre randomised clinical trials and two single centre observational studies. Three studies tested the intervention of written bereavement support materials and two studies used narration of family members' experiences in the ICU. All studies reported HADS scores. Scores for Impact of Event Scale, Impact of Event Scale–Revised and Inventory of Complicated Grief were measured in some but not all studies. There was no effect of an intervention on HADS scores (weighted mean difference, −0.79 [95% confidence interval, −3.81 to 2.23]; Ι2 = 65.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Owing to limited data, and clinical and statistical heterogeneity, there is considerable uncertainty regarding whether bereavement support strategies reduce, increase or have no effect on psychological distress in bereaved family members.
... Special topics can be named with quite a wide range: surviving with various states such as anorexia (Savukoski, Määttä, & Uusiautti, 2014), narcolepsy (Karjalainen, Nyrhilä, Määttä, & Uusiautti, 2013), or other illnesses and health problems (e.g., Aspinwall & Tedeschi, 2010;Tugade, Fredrickson, & Feldman Barrett, 2004); surviving with various developmental disorders, such as autism (Kangas, Uusiautti, & Määttä, 2012) or reading difficulties (Vanninen & Määttä 2013); and surviving with various events and situations in life, such as bullying at school (Hoisko, Uusiautti, & Määttä, 2014), grief and death (e.g., Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Stein, Trabasso, Folkman, & Richards, 1997), war (e.g., Ai, Tice, Whitsett, Ishisaka, & Chim, 2007;Hobfoll et al., 1991), and crimes (Davis, Hoffman, & Quigley, 1988;Jiang & Winfree, 2006;Äärelä, Uusiautti, & Määttä, 2014). ...
Article
Caring research is a new concept that is discussed and defined from two supplementary perspectives: (1) as research aiming at promoting well-being and (2) as a caring research community that cares for the researcher well-being and reciprocal relationships between colleagues and between supervisors and students. These dimensions are discussed in the light of the latest findings and theories of positive psychology as well as based on the authors’ studies in the field. The caring research ideology contributes a comprehensive viewpoint to the world of academic research because it also pays attention to the actual research process within the research community. This well-being focused approach can serve as a means to flourish within the ever-increasing demands of the academic world. Key words: caring research, positive psychology, researcher well-being, supervision, well-being at work.
... When people are in intensive psychological pain, they become vulnerable and sensitive and can suffer from serious problems such as major depression, financial difficulties, or even suicidal thoughts (Mee et al., 2006). Help such as listening to a grieving person's stories and true understanding from others could prevent these problems (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Goodrum, 2008). As a result, those wanting to offer help to someone who needs it, will do well to regulate their own emotions by distinguishing between their own distress and the emotions of those they are empathizing with (Decety, & Lamm, 2006). ...
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Previous studies have demonstrated a link between prior experience of physical pain and empathic response within similar settings. However, much less is known about emotional hurt derived from psychologically painful situations and the expression of empathy, despite evidence that different types of pain can be experienced in similar ways. Using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the current paper explored the relationship between college students’ (mostly female) experience with psychological pain and level of empathy evoked by pictures of strangers experiencing physical and psychological pain. Findings from all three studies indicated similar empathic reactions (in the form of pain perception, empathic concern, perspective taking, and intention to help) toward physical and psychological pain. However, participants’ feelings after observing physical and psychological pain were related to their prior similar painful experiences. This suggests that similar prior psychological painful experience can impact affective empathy when observing another in psychological pain, but not cognitive empathy. Implication for research on empathy evoked by observing psychological pain and the influence of similar past painful experiences are discussed.
... In addition, research into desistance has highlighted how sharing narratives can be regarded as an intervention in support of the process (Bove and Tryon, 2018). Within bereavement research, the role of stories is also regarded as a coping mechanism (Bosticco and Thompson, 2005;Walter, 1997). In addition, the loss of the assumptive world and the theory of grief have been conceptualised as offering ethnobiographical research that recognises the construction of narratives in relation to the meaning of an individual's life through stories (Neimeyer et al., 2002). ...
Article
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Much previous research has considered experiences of bereavement and loss in a prison-based setting. This overshadows the nature of bereavement within the context of community supervision and probation delivery, resulting in inadequate explorations of the potential link to persistence and/or desistance from crime. Research into desistance has predominantly focused on relationships with those who are still alive. This article evidences an emergent theme of bereavement experiences within the context of probation delivery, relationships and desistance. It draws upon narrative research undertaken within a Community Rehabilitation Company in the north of England, collected as part of a doctoral thesis. Evidence demonstrates the similarities between the process of desistance and that of bereavement with the narratives of men and women reiterating how bereavement can influence the onset of criminal or risk-taking behaviour whilst highlighting emergent evidence on how bereavement can disrupt desistance. This enables the article to highlight the importance of resilience in the process of both bereavement and desistance.
... Memory making and memorialization are important for validating the meaning of parenthood, facilitating legacy, and creating positive memories, which foster a sense of normalcy for parents and help them move forward after loss [17,40,41]. Memories are also related to the continuous bond with the baby [8] and the construction of narratives in grieving [42]. However, traumatic memories such as the abrupt way in which the news of perinatal death was announced and the disrespectful care of the baby's body or their mourning declined the mothers' hope in this study. ...
Article
Problem: The negative implications of perinatal death on mothers' mental health are documented, however little is known about their experience of hope. Background: Within the broader literature, hope has contributed to better mental health and bereavement adjustment and often bereaved mothers report the importance of hope for the grieving process. Aim: This study aims to explore bereaved mothers' experience of hope following perinatal death. Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with 33 mothers having experienced the death of an infant in the perinatal period. Data from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The mothers' experience of hope following perinatal loss is organized into three themes: Hope disrupted by perinatal loss; Transformed hope: a new pregnancy challenged by the sense of foreboding of another loss; and Ways to restore and foster hope in life. Discussion: Although hope has been a motivating force for mothers to reconnect with their life plan and move on after a loss, it is also negatively affected by the experience of perinatal bereavement, social support, and health professionals' clinical practice. Conclusion: Bereaved mothers have reported a disruption in their experience of hope. While some experience a loss of hope or a sense of hopelessness, others experience a transformation and restoration of hope, which is reinvested in the grieving process. Mothers' experience of hope highlights the need for the support of a healthcare professional and may contribute to enhanced clinical practice through the promotion of bereavement care, considering the aspects that instil, maintain, and interfere with hope.
... It does not require specialist knowledge or equipment, and is therefore a highly accessible medium for both tellers and listeners (McCall et al., 2019;Scott et al., 2013). Storytelling can help individuals and families gain a sense of control over events, relieve emotional tension, make meaning out of experiences, and connect different people's experiences (Bosticco and Thompson, 2005). This is echoed by Kellehear (2014) and Rumbold et al. (2011) who describe storytelling as a cultural resource for communities that can be used to facilitate a sense of predictability, normalise an experience, increase connectedness, and reduce isolation. ...
Article
Purpose Experiencing bereavement in childhood can cause profound changes to developmental trajectories. This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a public health intervention in schools to encourage pupils aged 12-15 years to independently explore ideas of death, dying, loss and end of life care in a structured and creative format. Design/methodology/approach A co-produced storytelling intervention was implemented in an independent school in Norwich, UK. Pupils wrote up to 1,000 words in response to the title, “I Wish We’d Spoken Earlier”. Their participation was voluntary and extra-curricular. Stakeholder feedback was used in addition to the submissions as a measure of acceptability, appropriateness, adoption and feasibility. Findings In total, 24 entries were submitted. Pupils demonstrated their ability to engage thoughtfully and creatively with the subject matter. Feasibility for the storytelling intervention was demonstrated. Importantly, the intervention also prompted family conversations around preferences and wishes for end of life care. Research limitations/implications To determine whether the intervention has psychological and social benefits will require further study. Practical implications Educational settings can be considered as anchor institutions to support a public health approach to end of life care. Originality/value The positive response from all stakeholders in delivering and supporting the intervention indicates that schools are a community asset that could be further empowered to support children and families affected by death, dying and loss.
... Experiencing the death of a loved one can shatter longheld worldviews and beliefs. Verbal and written narratives constitute one important way to make sense of and cope with emotional disturbances due to loss (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). Narrative construction facilitates the organization of one's experiences in a coherent fashion and helps one express and explore inner thoughts and feelings (Pennebaker & Seagal, 1999). ...
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Background: Narratives play a central role in the recovery process following death, and linguistic properties of grief narratives can serve as indicators of adjustment to loss. The present study examined whether bereaved men and women differ in how they discuss their loss, and how linguistic markers relate to psychological functioning. Positive associations were hypothesized between first-person singular pronoun use and psychological distress. Gender differences were expected for different emotion and social process words, and overall word use. Exploratory analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between linguistic markers and psychosocial outcomes for men and women separately. Method: 50 bereaved widow(er)s and parents (29 women, 21 men; MAge = 71.16 years, SD = 9.95) completed psychosocial self-report questionnaires and individual in-depth interviews. Grief narratives were analysed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a software program that quantifies words into linguistic and psychological categories. Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, first-person pronoun use was not related to psychological distress. Although gender differences emerged in self-reported psychosocial outcomes, we failed to find the predicted gender differences in linguistic markers (emotion and social process words, overall word count). Exploratory analyses revealed additional associations between linguistic markers and psychosocial outcomes, and gender differences in these relationships. Notably, first-person pronoun use was related to heightened grief avoidance. Furthermore, various linguistic markers were associated with increased depression levels in females, but not males. In contrast, nonfluencies were positively associated with indicators of psychological distress in men only. Conclusion: In line with the gender similarities hypothesis, analyses suggest similarities between men and women’s discussion of their grief experience. Associations between linguistic markers and psychological adjustment indicate that grief narratives contain meaningful indices of underlying health.
... According to Sedney et al. (1994), stories are composed in order to fit the necessities of the contexts in which they are narrated, thus, the storytelling can be defined as a "story fitting" process (Di Fraia, 2004). People comprehend and elaborate new information by relating it to stories they already know (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005), therefore storytelling implies to deliberately choose well-recognised story skeletons available in a specific socio-cultural context and to construct stories with a predictable result that can be simply understood (Schank, 1995). ...
Article
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This paper aims to explore how young Italians represent the phenomenon of migration by using a socio-narrative approach and taking into account the role of media in shaping the collective imaginary. To this end, socio-narrative representations are deemed a valuable tool both at the conceptual and analytical level. Accordingly, this empirical study relies on the three main dimensions of socio-narrative representations (objectification, anchoring and narration) and on two mass communication theories (agenda-setting and cultivation theory) to analyse qualitative data. In-depth semi-structured interviews revealed that the iconic dimension has a predominant role in the mythopoietic mechanisms of construction of socio-narrative presentations. In fact, it emerges that also the anchoring and narrative processes frequently originate from certain stereotypical pictures and stories continuously broadcasted by mass media, which select and portray only a partial and inaccurate depiction of migration, based on the narrative distinction between "us" and "them". In fact, this complex phenomenon is often reduced to the images of the victims of humanitarian crises, thereby favouring processes of distant suffering and compassion fatigue. Implications of these findings are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.
... 28,29 Moreover, current bereavement theory highlights the importance of talking about traumatic experiences and constructing narratives related to the loss as a way to contextualize, find meaning, integrate the experience, and move beyond it. 26,[30][31][32] Photographs, and the conversations, memories, and narratives associated with them, may help bereaved parents and their other children come to terms with the loss. 28 This study addressed bereavement photography from multiple perspectives. ...
Article
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Perinatal loss, including fetal and infant death, is a devastating experience for parents, resulting in long-term adverse physical and psychosocial outcomes. However, little is known about what services might best support grieving parents. We aimed to understand the role of professional bereavement photography in assisting the grieving process of parents who have lost a fetus or infant, by examining the perspectives of bereaved parents, professional photographers, and health care professionals. Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted, and interview transcripts were analyzed using modified grounded theory. Twenty-three individuals participated, including 6 bereaved parents, 8 photographers, and 9 health care professionals. Analyses generated 5 major themes describing ways in which the photographs were valuable to parents: validation of the experience, permission to share, creation of a permanent and tangible legacy, creation of positive memories, and moving forward after the loss. Hospitals should consider incorporation of professional bereavement photography services into palliative care and bereavement programs.
... Someone grieving will likely see their story change over time with the narrative structure evolving as the story is told and repeated, potentially leading to new insights in the process (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). The bereaved can test out a narrative within a social context by interacting with their audience as they tell the story, adding to it over time and shaping its meaning based on the conversations that happen around the story (Gilbert, 2002). ...
Article
Grief does not discriminate; most individuals in this world, regardless of background or life circumstance, will eventually experience the loss of someone close to them. Children’s Bereavement Center, based in Miami, Florida, offers no-cost peer-support groups to grieving children, adolescents, and adults. The following paper presents an overview of the organization as well as a customized application plan for how positive psychology can be further integrated into Children’s Bereavement Center’s services. We include a situation analysis of the grief sector, looking specifically at Children’s Bereavement Center’s influence in southern Florida, a literature review of positive psychology concepts that impact the grieving process, and an application plan based on recommended media formats for age-appropriate content delivery. The plan outlines the creation of an online module titled “Grief to Growth,” with headings of Heal and Hope, Recovery and Renewal, and Believe and Build. Within the module are suggestions for downloadable handouts, delivery of relevant information through email and social media, podcast topics, journal prompts, and daily texts. Finally, we analyze prosocial behavior to provide recommendations for increasing donor and volunteer engagement. This plan is intended to assist Children’s Bereavement Center as they further integrate positive psychology into the organization.
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Bir varmış bir yokmuş ile uyuduğumuz gecenin karanlığı, binlerce yıldır uyandığımız şafağın aydınlığı kadar hayatımızın içinde, zihin dünyamızın derinlerindedir hikayeler. Anlatıların ihtişamlı yıldız kümeleri efsaneler, destanlar, masallar, kıssalar, rivayetler ve öyküler, binlerce yıldır varlığımızı anlamlandıran, öğrenme, öğretme ve eğlenme yolculuğumuzda bize yol gösteren pusulalardır. Tarih boyunca severek dinlediğimiz, anlattığımız bizi biz yapan deneyimlerimizle bezediğimiz, bizi değerli hissettiren hikayeler; hayattaki seçiciliğimize, farkındalığımıza katkı sağlar. Etrafa saçtığımız hikayeleri, anlatmaya karşı duyduğumuz ilgiliyi fark eden pazarlama iletişimi uygulayıcıları, zihinlerde yaratmak istedikleri olumlu algı ve yoğun rekabet ortamında bir adım önde olmak için hikayeleri kendilerine yol arkadaşı seçmeye başladı. Son dönemlerde bireylerin kendi deneyimlerini içeren, gündelik hayatından kesitler bulabileceği, içerisinde barındırdığı duygu ile verilen mesajlara yoğunlaşmayı sağlayan anlatı/ hikaye türü içeriklerle donatılmış / kurgulanmış pazarlama iletişimi çalışmalarına daha sık rastlamaktayız. Anlatıya dayalı pazarlama uygulamalarında verilen mesajları, kişisel hayatındaki umut ve korkuları, üzüntü ve sevinçleriyle benzeştiren tüketicide ikna daha kolay olmaktadır. Anlatıya dayalı pazarlama, tüketiciye kendi deneyimlerini hikayeye aktarmasına fırsat vererek marka katılımı sağlama sürecidir. Hikayeye can veren katılım sayesinde tüketici, olumlu etkileşime girerek pazarlamanın merkezine anlamlı tüketici hikayelerini konumlandırır. Pazarlama iletişimi bağlamında değerlendirildiğinde tüketici ile duygusal bağ kurmak, tutundurma faaliyetlerinde etkinliği arttırmak, akılda kalmak gibi nedenlerle hikayeleştirme tercih edilen bir yöntem olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır.
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Digital storytelling is a qualitative visual research method that is becoming increasingly popular. It is based on collaboratively creating short digital movies conveying participants’ stories which can also be presented to the public, and represents not only a research method but also a beneficial therapeutic tool for both adults and children. Within the context of psychotherapy, digital storytelling has helped individuals to connect not only at an intrapersonal level, but also at an interpersonal level, and has been a valuable part of the healing process. Based on these promising findings, this article presents a proposed creative intervention for bereaved families based on digital storytelling together with a dance-movement activity. The steps are outlined, and the goal of this intervention is to help the bereaved to build resilience, to process their grief and to heal together as a community. The implications for practice are then discussed.
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Günümüzde hikaye anlatım tekniği özellikle çocuklarla danışmada sıklıkla başvurulan önemli bir teknik haline gelmiştir. Çocuk danışanlar, yetişkinlerden farklı bir dil kullanırlar. Çocuklarla çalışan ruh sağlığı profesyonelleri günlük dil yerine metaforlardan, oyunlardan, görsellerden, hikayelerden yararlandıklarında danışanları ile daha güçlü bir terapötik ilişki kurabildiklerini bildirmektedirler. Hikaye anlatım tekniği, psikolojik danışma sürecinde danışanın doğrudan ifade edemediği duygu ve düşüncesini hikayelerdeki karakterler aracılığıyla ifade etmesini kolaylaştıran terapötik bir araçtır. Postmodern yaklaşımlarla birlikte popüler hale gelen hikaye anlatım tekniği ile ilgili çalışmaların ülkemizde sınırlı sayıda olduğu görülmektedir. Çocuklarla çalışan okul psikolojik danışmanları, çocukla günlük dil ile iletişim kurmaya çalıştıklarında dirençle karşılaşabilmektedirler. Bu durum yardıma ihtiyaç duyan çocuğa psikolojik destek sağlanmasının önüne geçebilir. Özellikle zorlu yaşantılarla karşılaşan çocuklara gerekli destek sağlanmadığında uyum sorunları, öğrenme güçlükleri, alt ıslatma, gibi sorunlar yaşanabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada terapötik hikaye anlatımı, çocuklarla danışmada hikaye anlatım tekniğinin kullanımı ve kullanım amaçları ele alınmıştır. Bu çalışma, özellikle çocuklarla çalışan okul psikolojik danışmanları için hikaye anlatım tekniğinin sahadaki yeni uygulamaları, faydaları ve kullanım kolaylığı ile ilgili bilgi vermesi yönüyle önemlidir.
Article
Increasingly, people are turning to social media to express grief. By and large, however, the social media community can do little more than improvise reactions, not quite sure how to use the old familiar social scripts as guides to lending effective support. To examine the role of social media in the grieving process, we used a mixed-methods approach: 12 interviews with “social media grievers” reveal the expectations of the bereaved regarding other users’ behavior. By way of two online experiments with 1058 participants, we tested how these expectations are met by the messaging of social media providers in accordance with social norm theory. We found that injunctive social norm messages are particularly effective, whereas descriptive social norm messages vary in their effectiveness, depending on which information is presented and how prominently so. What our study shows, then, is that both are potent socio-technical tools that can guide users towards more empathetic behavior when dealing with the bereaved, so while social media may not be a substitute for therapy, they can offer profound comfort for those of us dealing with bereavement and grief.
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After my father’s death, writing became a tool to alleviate my suffering. Using evocative autoethnography, I examined if written, first-person storytelling that leaned on expressive writing techniques could help me actively process and effectively move through my complicated mourning. My data consisted of 41 stories (published as The Revelations of Eapen) that disclosed the cultural interactions of bereavement while narrating the wildness of prolonged grief. Removing myself as the protagonist, I looked at the writing through a scientific lens. I discovered the writing was constructed using two central themes, targeting bereavement: the art of storytelling and the four cornerstones of grief stories. This article explores my analysis, providing a framework for therapeutic storytelling that can be used to reconcile grief.
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During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, memes appeared as one of the cultural artefacts through which people could represent, and ironize on, the consequences of the spread of the virus. This paper presents the results of a research, based on a content analysis conducted on a sample of 1882 memes, which investigate the main themes and protagonists of the memes and the following collective narratives built and circulated in three different phases of the pandemic, in the Italian socio-cultural context. Drawing on the findings of this exploratory study, we argue that memes are socio-cultural and narrative artifacts that contribute to construct, and in which are inscribed, socio-narrative representations, that individuals employ to make sense of, and build imaginaries and narratives about collective experiences. Specifically, we support that memes, as socio-narrative representations, objectify facts through iconic representations, anchor new events to previously elaborated ideas and expressions, and entail skeleton stories, i.e., narrative programs in which are inscribed normative and ethical elements. Key actors providing sources for meme repertoires and thus contributing to the construction of socio-narrative representations are broadcast media (news media, cinema, TV programs, etc.), which had a key role during the pandemic, following the social distancing and home confinement restrictions issued by the Italian government. During the hardest moments of the pandemic, memes worked as socio-narrative representations of the new type of everyday life with which individuals had to cope, thereby making familiar something that appeared dangerous and unknown. Memes eliminated the most disturbing and dangerous parts of the virus through narrations that often made fun of the new rules of behaviour and relationship practices, with ordinary objects and guiding characters, such as politicians and stars from the show business realm, that were able to reassure people. Finally, methodological insights regarding the study of memes at the big data & computational methods level are provided.
Chapter
Communication at end-of-life remains a stigmatized and taboo topic among families. Despite evidence indicating open communication and engagement among family members in the end-of-life process, people still struggle to communicate in this taboo topic. This chapter will review the literature of end-of-life communication among families, including theoretical approaches, challenges and barriers to open end-of-life communication and advance care planning, and depictions of end-of-life in entertainment media. Opportunities to overcome the taboo nature of communicating about death and dying by using media entertainment, specifically film and television, as a conversational platform to launch discussion aimed at overcoming the stigma surrounding death and dying are provided.
Chapter
Following a death, grief reactions can occur at the personal, family, and societal levels. Death is a stressor and at the individual level, grief responses not only are biological in nature but also are influenced by prior learning and religious doctrines. At the familial level the group process, the level of cohesiveness of the group or cultural orientation (e.g., individualism versus collectivism), can affect individual grief reactions. At the societal level, also, in responding to a loss (of prominent citizens) actions taken by the government include flying of flag at half-staff (or half-mast) in honor of the deceased, lying the decedent’s body in state or in honor, burial at National Cemetery, ensuring justice for the deceased through a judicial system, and passing of legislation to discourage the future happening of a similar death. In the USA, the federal government establishes a National Monument and a Memorial Day; and at the state governments provide burial assistance to indigent citizens.
Article
Narrative medicine describes the application of story to medical education and practice. Although it has been implemented successfully in many medical schools as a part of undergraduate medical education, applications to the residency environment have been relatively limited. There are virtually no data concerning the adoption of narrative medicine within surgical residencies. This paper provides a brief introduction to the formal discipline of narrative medicine. We further discuss how storytelling is already used in surgical education and summarize the literature on applications of narrative medicine to residents in other specialties. The relevance of narrative medicine to the ACGME core competencies is explored. We conclude with specific suggestions for implementation of narrative medicine within surgical residency programs.
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Objective Routine family follow-up after bereavement in the intensive care unit (ICU) and routine consideration of organ and tissue donation at end of life are both integral to good health care delivery, yet neither is widely achieved. This study evaluated an initiative to efficiently deliver these outcomes in an Australian setting through a novel collaboration between DonateLife South Australia (DLSA) and the ICU of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.MethodsA Plan-Do-Study-Act method of quality improvement was used in the Royal Adelaide Hospital ICU between February 2018 and February 2019. The ICU clinical team identified adult patients and family members at medical consensus of end of life to donation specialist nursing coordinators, who assessed potential for donation and enrolled patients and family members into a bereavement follow-up program. After death, family members received bereavement information and details of a structured telephone follow-up conversation that took place 6-8 weeks later.ResultsOf 241 deaths, 216 were enrolled in the project. Follow-up telephone calls were completed with 124 of 201 (62%) family members, with 77 (38%) family members not contactable. Follow-up telephone interviews yielded practical suggestions to improve end-of-life care. Donation was considered in all patients enrolled in the project, and referral through DLSA increased from 24% to 90% of all ICU deaths. Associated with the collaborative initiative, consent to organ donation recorded a 63% increase on the 10-year average (from 19 to 31 donors). Corneal donation referral increased by 625%. The initiative required an additional 0.4 full-time equivalent registered nurse. Family members valued the opportunity to debrief their experience.Conclusions Collaboration between DLSA and the Royal Adelaide Hospital ICU achieved universal consideration of organ donation and high rates of structured bereavement follow-up. Follow-up calls were valued with areas for improvement identified.What is known about this topic?Death in the ICU is associated with significant psychopathology among bereaved family members, and bereavement follow-up is widely recommended. Opportunities to consider organ and tissue donation are commonly missed due to lack of consideration at end of life.What does this paper add?Collaboratively exploring donation and performing bereavement follow-up is feasible with a minimal added resource. Such comprehensive approach to good end-of-life care helps identify aspects of care that could be improved and is associated with an increase in organ and tissue donation rates.What are the implications for practitioners?Collaboration between the ICU and DonateLife achieved mutually beneficial outcomes of understanding the end-of-life experience for family members and timely consideration of organ and tissue donation. This timely consideration potentially identified some missed organ donors and then allowed family members to give feedback on their experience.
Article
The death of a family member is a stressful event that can threaten familial cohesion. Communication can help families cope, but its effectiveness is dependent on context. Family communication about loss may be especially complicated for bereaved emerging adults and their parents, as this life stage is defined by independence and change. Using the theory of motivated information management (TMIM), this study examines the decision-making process bereaved emerging adults (N = 197) engage in when deciding whether or not to seek information about their parent’s experience with a family death, with an eye toward connecting information management and grief. Results support the TMIM and offer insights into the mechanisms that factor into the information management process of bereaved emerging adults.
Article
This study explores the nature of a therapeutic recreation-based bereavement camp for families whose child has died from serious illness. Open-ended surveys and interviews were conducted with parents attending a three-camp cycle over a 12-month period or a reunion camp. Thirteen parents completed open-ended surveys before and after each camp and six of these also completed interviews after the final camp. Six additional parents completed interviews after the reunion camp. Six staff working with families during the camps were also interviewed. Content analysis of surveys and thematic analysis of interviews revealed the aims, structure, and content of the camp. The findings suggest a model whereby shared experience allows for normalization and offers a nonjudgmental place to share stories, discuss difficulties come together as a family, and create a support network. These findings highlight the value of therapeutic recreation-based bereavement interventions for families whose child has died from serious illness.
Thesis
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Confronted with something as fundamental as a cancer diagnosis or death of one’s child, it is generally assumed that sharing the emotional impact of it, in the form of talking about it with the partner, is helpful and necessary in order to cope as an individual and as a couple. Undoubtedly, being able to talk to one another can be a way for connecting emotionally with the partner and supporting each other through difficult times. However, couple communication in the context of childhood oncology or grieving the loss of a child is often challenging. Moreover, contemporary research is far from consistent about the presumed beneficial effects of talking and social sharing about painful emotions. The overall aim of this doctoral research was to deepen the understanding of couple communication, talking and not talking, in the context of child cancer and the loss of a child. Therefore, we explored the experiences of bereaved couples and couples confronted with childhood cancer, including the meanings they gave for ‘not talking’ with one another about their emotions, or being silent in each other’s presence. In addition, we explored the experiences and views of professionals working with parents whose child is in cancer treatment. A qualitative research design was used to meet this overall aim. In qualitative research the starting point is usually not a specific hypothesis that needs to be tested empirically. Rather, the phenomenon under study is systematically explored, resulting in a rich description of the phenomenon that is grounded in the data. Such rich descriptions can then lead to fundamental reflections on conceptual issues. We conducted five studies, each presented in a chapter. Chapters 1, 2 and 4 relate to the exploration of couple communication of bereaved parents, while chapters 3 and 5 are conducted in the context of childhood cancer, including the views of professionals at a child oncology department (Chapter 5). First, we conducted an exploratory pilot study (Chapter 1) with a bereaved mother and her partner. Based on an in-depth interview, a book she wrote and a text of a presentation she gave, we did a thematic analysis. Following this, we did a narrative analysis where we focused on the evolution of this couple’s sharing and not sharing of grief experiences since the loss. The main storyline involved the need for silence and distance at several points in the process, to protect themselves and the relationship. At the same time, they stressed the necessary moments of connection between them, with or without words. This study introduced a view on couple communication which is dialectic, dialogic and dynamic in nature. Then we explored meanings related to ‘not talking’ in a second and third study. For our second study with bereaved parents (Chapter 2), we conducted and analyzed twenty in-depth interviews, with twenty-six parents, and did a thematic analysis based on grounded theory methodology. Our analyses revealed four main meanings related to ‘not talking’ about their grief with the partner: not talking (1) because of the inadequacy and pointlessness of words in grief, (2) to create some distance from the pain of grief, (3) as an expression of a personal, intimate process, and (4) because the partner has the same loss but a different grief process (with 4 subcategories: 4.1. Respect and not burden each other’s grieving process, 4.2. The uselessness of words, 4.3. Not enough distance from the pain of the partner, and 4.4. Different grieving styles or moments). For many bereaved parents, the complex process of talking and ‘not talking’ about the fear of death and loss of their child started from the moment of the cancer diagnosis. Therefore, we decided to broaden our group of research participants, and explored the same research topic with parents whose child was in cancer treatment in our third study. In this study (Chapter 3), we equally did a thematic analysis based on grounded theory methodology. The analysis was done on nine in-depth interviews with sixteen parents. In this study we were immediately confronted with the different context of these parents. Their primary focus during treatment period was the wellbeing and recovery of the child, in a life that was dominated and structured by treatment procedures and frequent hospitalizations. As parents, most of them felt supported by the partner, as a way of “being in this together”. However, they all talked very little with each other about their emotions and thoughts related to their child’s cancer during treatment. Our analysis revealed three main meanings: not talking (1) because of the hospital and treatment context, (2) for selfcare/self-protection and blocking of emotions, and (3) because of each other, (with 3 subcategories (3a) to spare one another, (3b) a different coping, and (3c) because no words are needed between them). These three studies showed that the parents in our interviews experienced their communication with each other as subject to a lot of complexities, representing both the value of talking and not talking. This led us to explore a dialectical approach to communication in a fourth study with a bereaved couple (Chapter 4). Aiming at a deeper understanding of the complexity of the dialectical process we meticulously investigated a metaphor used by one of the bereaved parents. We used multiple data collection for this study and conducted a thematic and metaphor analysis. This gave us the chance to examine the relational process more in depth. Indeed, the interplay of dialectics was also apparent in their dialogue with each other, on an interpersonal level. The concept of attunement showed extra value in connecting the intrapersonal and interpersonal level. With our fifth study we broadened our research topic to the communication between parents and professionals working at a child oncology department (Chapter 5). We specifically wondered about how attunement processes operated in this context. Therefore, four focus groups were organized with twenty professionals (psychologists and nurses), in addition to the nine in-depth interviews (study 3), now with a focus on the communication with the professionals. Thematic analyses were done separately on the transcripts of the focus groups and interviews. Both professionals and parents talked about an elevated tension in the partner relationship during oncology treatment of the child. However, explicit attention for the partner relationship in this context felt inappropriate to professionals and parents, as the child is their primary focus now. Furthermore, both professionals and parents emphasized the importance of the professional helpers’ openness for conversation and an attuned response to the parental couple relationship. Taken together, during our research process we found that the process of attunement is central in our understanding of how partners, confronted with the death or life-threatening illness of their child, talk with each other and leave certain things (temporarily) unspoken or in silence. This corresponds with a dialogical perspective on storytelling. Consequently, a model of attunement reflecting our findings is described. The process of attunement is a moment-to-moment interaction, which includes vertical and horizontal processes. These processes are inherently connected and part of one process, the one resting on the other. Based on these attunement processes some things are brought in the outer dialogue, while others or not (yet). The concept of attunement also brought us to a deeper and broader understanding of the relatedness of talking/not talking and connecting/not connection (or closeness/distance). We conclude this doctoral manuscript with a general discussion of our main findings and how they might contribute to the existing grief and psycho oncology literature. Finally, we discuss methodological issues with the limitations of our studies, future research and clinical implications.
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Writing about self-relevant emotional topics has a wide range of mental and physical health benefits. An appealing explanation for this phenomenon is that writing facilitates 'story-making' - the ability to make coherent and meaningful stories out of events in one's life - and it is forming a good story that promotes the health benefits. Despite the recent attention to this idea, the psychometrics and correlates of story-making are not known. The purpose of the current study was to explore this idea by measuring participants' story-making ability when writing about both emotional and unemotional topics and relate this to health, personality variables, and linguistic dimensions. Story-making was reliably assessed by independent raters, except for nonemotional topics. The ability to make good stories was not, however, consistent across topic, and story-making did not correlate with personality dimensions nor did it predict the health outcomes of participants.
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This paper discusses how emotional experience is interpreted, understood, and represented. Changes in the status of valued goals, and whether or not these goals can be attained or maintained are key conditions in determining the occurrence of an emotional experience. In addition, assessing the certainty with which goals can be maintained is critical as to which emotion is experienced. This small set of dimensions can be used to identify, and differentiate emotions that are considered to be basic. Basic emotion categories share features, and their elicitation is contingent on a number of components coming into conjunction with one another simultaneously. Thus, for any one basic emotion to be elicited, at least three converging components need to be activated. This view of the conditions for emotion is discussed with reference to componential theories of emotion, and to its developmental and cross-cultural implications.
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The problem of accounting for the dynamic patterns of human behavior has seemed to be nearer a solution through studies of narratives than even through such well-known approaches as the role–rule model, script theory, or social-cognitive explanations. The authors look at some of the qualities that have made the study of narrative such a productive approach. In doing so, they define and differentiate the notion of narrative from other patternings of discourse, drawing on literary and linguistic studies, on socio- and psycholinguistics, in developing a psychological narratology. Theoretical difficulties in narrative study are identified, and an understanding of narrative is outlined that takes into account its particular discursive embeddedness and, in this way, its open and fleeting character that make it appropriate for the study of the dynamic patterns of human identity. It is through narrative that we make sense of the wider, more differentiated, and more complex texts and contexts of our experience. It is this notion that has been applied to studies on the way we organize our memories, intentions, life histories, and ideas of our "selves" or "personal identities" in narrative patterns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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describes an approach to the study of how young children come to understand and use goal plans of action / each child [3–9 yr olds] and adult narrated a sequence of 24 scenes in a picture storybook / adults were told to tell the story after looking at each picture in the book [as if] they were telling it to a child since the pictures were very explicit and coherent with respect to actions and situations, they contained sufficient information to let the child infer a hierarchical goal plan of action executed over time with several repeated, unexpected failures followed by a final goal success / aim was to analyze whether the young narrators inferred this plan and whether they used it to interpret and narrate the pictorial events / how the narrators encoded states and actions of the central protagonist in the picture story provided the main evidence for the use of knowledge about a goal plan goals and plans: guides to future-oriented behavior / using plans in the narration of events: an investigation / narration study / unfolding episodes into component parts of planning [relationship between protagonists and valued objects, narrating initiating events that give rise to goals, do the children encode actions as part of a plan, and do they sustain this use of a plan by reinstating a goal and renewed attempts] / questions of individual differences, origins, and underestimation of the use of plans / fostering integration of the past with the present and future: how mothers talk with very young children about events / underestimation of planning knowledge: questioning following narration (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Narratives of 30 caregivers were scored for appraisals and coping responses following the death of their partners from AIDS. Appraisals were identified as valenced beliefs, emotions, and goal outcomes, whereas coping responses included goals and plans of action. The proportion of positive appraisals predicted long-term goals and plans and psychological well-being at both bereavement and 12 months later. Positive appraisals were correlated with positive moral and positive states of mind. The latter were negatively correlated with partner-centered, short-term plans. Positive appraisals were negatively correlated with depressive mood. Caregivers, who reported proportionately more positive appraisals during caregiving and after the loss of their partner, were more likely to have future- and self-oriented goals and plans and to demonstrate positive well-being at bereavement and better recovery 12 months later than were those who reported more negative appraisals.
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The sudden, unexpected death of a child is likely to have profound and enduring implications for surviving siblings. In this article, stories from five sisters are presented to demonstrate how children's experiences of and responses to the death of a sibling can vary greatly, even within the same family. Each child creates his or her own reality, and this "unique" definition of reality influences the child's behavior. Giving children a chance to "tell their stories" may help nurses and other professionals to understand the meanings and values that are guiding how children respond following the unexpected death of a sibling.
Article
We are grateful to Robert Neimeyer, Mary Passmore, Phil Shaver, and Susan Veach for perceptive comments on a draft of this article. The article is based on a talk given by the first author at the Third Meeting of the International Network on Personal Relationships, Normal, Illinois, May 1991. Thanks are extended to Drs. Sue Sprecher, Sandra Metts, and Bill Cupach for making this presentation possible and to the participants in the studies described for their invaluable contribution to knowledge about loss, will, and hope.Editor's Note: This article is the first in a series of occasional invited manuscripts, whose purpose is to promote greater conceptual exchange among thanatologists and colleagues in other disciplines who are concerned with similar issues. In House ofpain and Hope, Harvey and his colleagues outline their provocative research on account-making as a process for finding meaning in and growing from experiences of loss, whether through bereavement, abuse, or relationship dissolution. It is my hope that a keener appreciation of such work in the social sciences will promote the efforts of journal readers whose research and practices confront them with the many forms of grief and its resolution.
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For both people and machines, each in their own way, there is a serious problem in common of making sense out of what they hear, see, or are told about the world. The conceptual apparatus necessary to perform even a partial feat of understanding is formidable and fascinating. Our analysis of this apparatus is what this book is about. —Roger C. Schank and Robert P. Abelson from the Introduction (http://www.psypress.com/scripts-plans-goals-and-understanding-9780898591385)
Article
We studied the effects of the death of a child by suicide (N = 34) versus non-suicide (N = 46) on family dynamics of forty-one parents and thirty-nine surviving siblings. Participants were solicited through bereavement groups, flyers, and newspaper advertisements. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Bloom Family Interaction Scale, and a Closeness/Distance questionnaire about four years post death. Results included: 1) disengaged or conflicted families experienced greater distance while cohesive or expressive families reported more closeness; 2) sibling survivors felt closer to their fathers after the death than before and reported more family conflict than did parents; 3) there were no differences between suicide survivors and non-suicide survivors in perceived closeness between family pairs before or after the death.
Article
Discusses the value of storytelling in therapy. A story can be used to make a point, peg ideas, encourage clients to "lighten up" about their problems, introduce doubt or confusion, take the floor, test the water, normalize a client's complaint, or guide associations. Therapeutic use of a story does not preclude telling the moral of the story. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
The intense feelings of embarrassment, shame, and grief that often accompany sexual or reproductive losses confront helping professionals with unique challenges. In this book, Constance Hoenk Shapiro offers practical insights into helping clients suffering from sexual losses. Shapiro details the techniques and skills helping professionals need to assist people coping with the grief that accompanies sexual or reproductive losses—whether as a result of disease, injury, or old age. Providing a biological, psychological, and social perspective on sexuality and grief, she offers professionals specific therapeutic guidelines for helping their clients to develop systems of support, work through their grief, and empower themselves in spite of their losses. Through numerous compelling vignettes, Shapiro illustrates how professionals can move beyond the facts of a case to empathize with the client's feelings of loss and grief. And she offers ways professionals can maximize their therapeutic effectiveness by improving their knowledge base, intervention skills, and personal motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
In "Tell Me a Story," Roger Schank, one of the most innovative leaders in the field of artificial intelligence, looks closely at the way in which the stories we tell relate to our memory and our understanding. People talk about what happens to them, and they tell others what they remember. Telling stories and listening to other people's stories shape the memories we have of our experiences. Schank explores some of the remarkable aspects and implications of our ability to recall stories and relate them to new ones we are hearing. "Our interest in telling and hearing stories is strongly related to the nature of intelligence," Schank observes. "In our laboratory today, we are attempting to build machines that have interesting stories to tell and procedures that enable them to tell these stories at the right time. Our machines do not solve puzzles, nor do they do mathematics. Rather, our aim is to make them interesting to talk to, an aspect of intelligence often ignored by computer professionals and intelligence assessors." This is a bold attempt and it is bound to be controversial. In "Tell Me a Story," Schank made a startling breakthrough by bringing together two of the most intriguing products of the human imagination: storytelling and computers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Explores the narrative as cognitive instrument. Robinson and Hawpe approach the topic from the orientation of cognitive science. Making a story out of bits and pieces of action requires skill, judgment, and experience. Narrative thinking makes possible the interpretation of events by putting together a causal pattern which names possible the blending of what is known about a situation (facts) with relevant conjectures (imagination). They suggest that no rigid formula can be established as to what constitutes a story, although there is some commonality in judging the relative "goodness" of a story. The authors require that the cognitive analysis of the actions of self and others be carried out in a social context. They devote considerable space to a presentation of original ideas about narrative thinking being motivated by the search for causes of conduct. They also discuss the need for narrative "repair" under conditions where the narrative causal model does not satisfy tests of relevance or coherence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
what is the person from the standpoint of the person / how does a person define him- or herself as a person / it is from this subjective standpoint, I believe, that the person can be said to be a history—a subjectively composed and construed life story that integrates one's past, present, and future the main thesis of my life story model of identity is that a person defines him- or herself by construing an autobiographical story of the self, complete with setting, scene, character, plot, and theme / the story is the person's identity "lives are organized in the same manner as other narratives, including historical interpretations, and are understandable according to the same socially shared definition of a sensible or followable presentation" / it is this rather literal interpretation of Murray's statement that I wish to pursue in this chapter, with the goal of outlining for the first time a life-span perspective for the emergence of identity as a life story / let us then explore how the person composes and, indeed, becomes a history over the course of the human life cycle narrative tone: the attachment bond in infancy / early childhood images / human intentions and the organization of motives / the emergence of a narrative self / formal operations and the ideological setting / the nature of the imago / the teleogical transformation of narrative (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Facilitating and listening to bereaved families tell “The Story” of their loss is an important component of therapeutic work with bereaved families. Following a discussion of the general functions of stories, the authors use a variety of case examples to illustrate how “The Story” can be used as an assessment device, as an initial intervention, and as a gauge of the progress of treatment. Family stories of loss are conceptualized as constructions, and the emphasis is on how individual and family context affect and are affected by these stories. Throughout the paper, particular attention is paid to ways stories canbe useful for children in families.
Article
Thesis (M.A. in Communication)--University of Dayton. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 263-283).
Article
When a child dies, the circle of adults who are affected in some way is indeed large. Although parents are the adults most centrally affected, grandparents, other relatives, church members, neighbors and professional caregivers all can be profoundly influenced by the loss. All of these adults can experience a variety of emotional and behavioral symptoms commonly called grief. The intensity and duration of the grief response depends on many variables including the specific relationship of the adult to the child, past experiences with death, and the personality of the adult. The grief process for parents and close relatives may last for several years. Although professional grief is generally of shorter duration and less intensity, repeated experiences with child death can eventually lead to a major grief response in the caregivers. For all grievers left behind when a child dies, the most significant human need is caring, that is, human contact with at least one other person who shows understanding and patience. Sheldon Kopp has summarized this need succinctly when he said “We have only ourselves and one another. That may not be much but that's all there is” (46).
Article
Clinical scholarship is elusive but involves observation, comparison of what is and what might be, applicability and analysis of appropriate theory-based practice, and passion for the process. The article examines characteristics of clinical scholarship in a clinical practice with a community service mission: facilitation of a support group for parents experiencing perinatal loss. The conceptual framework for this practice arena, Swanson-Kauffman's caring concepts and Yalom's curative factors of group participation, is explored. Practical information about initiating and maintaining an environment of clinical scholarship in a support group practice is provided, with discussion of the appropriateness of support group involvement for this population.
Article
The death of a fetus or newborn infant prompts a grief response which has numerous unique aspects. Pregnancy losses are similar in many respects to other losses, but raise additional issues which require attention and consideration. This article addresses these issues, and offers guidance to social workers who are working with persons following this special type of loss. Parental communication, sibling needs and follow-up programs are also reviewed, along with caregiver issues.
Article
Providing care to a spouse or partner who is dying and then losing that person are among the most stressful of human experiences. A longitudinal study of the caregiving partners of men with AIDS showed that in addition to intense negative psychological states, these men also experienced positive psychological state states throughout caregiving and bereavement. The co-occurrence of positive and negative psychological states in the midst of enduring and profoundly stressful circumstances has important implications for our understanding of the coping process. Coping theory had traditionally focused on the management of distress. This article describes coping processes that are associated with positive psychological states in the context of intense distress and discusses the theoretical implications of positive psychological states in the coping process.
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