Is it True That "There are no Right or Wrong Ways to Grieve"?

This article explores some of the implications of the often-heard saying that, "There are no right or wrong ways to grieve." In order to do so, this article offers some reflections on the key phrases that are involved implicitly or explicitly in this advice: loss, bereavement, grief, grieving, and mourning. On that basis, this article examines a series of claims: Are there actually no right ways to grieve?; Is there no single right way to grieve?; Are there no wrong ways to grieve? These analyses are enriched by incorporating some of the new understandings of loss, grief, and mourning that have emerged in the professional literature in recent years from research and scholarship. The conclusion offers lessons that should be learned and that should not be learned from the advice that, "There are no right or wrong ways to grieve".

Some Personal Reflections on the History and Current Status of Textbooks in the Field of Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

This article is a contribution to recording one dimension of the history of education in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. It offers some personal reflections on the history and current status of textbooks in our field that have been or are currently published in North America. The scope of this reflection looks back on the earliest textbooks in this field published in the 1960s and 1970s and extends to textbooks published in the early 2020s. Critical comments are offered on general trends or on textbooks that are no longer in print, but not on individual titles that are currently available for adoption and instructional use. Because I am the lead author of one such textbook, I do not choose to engage in invidious comparisons. Instead, this article includes descriptions of contemporary textbooks taken from the Amazon website.

Some Reflections On The History And Current Status of Education in the Field of Death, Dying, and Bereavement at the College and University Level In North America.

This article is a contribution to recording one dimension of the field of death, dying, and bereavement. It offers some personal reflections on the history and current status of formal education in this field at the college and university level in North America. The scope of this reflection looks back on the earliest known examples of formal education in this field that took place in the 1960s and 1970s, provides examples of some of the early pedagogical resources that were created to support and foster those initiatives, and sketches more recent developments as regards introductory or undergraduate survey courses in this field, other death-related courses, programs in thanatology, and efforts to offer certificates or certification for educators and other professionals in this field. The article concludes with some thoughts about what we have learned from and about education in the field of death, dying, and bereavement.

Some Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Hospice Care in America.

This article celebrates the 50th anniversary of hospice care in America. It also offers a brief recounting of one person's reflections on some aspects of the history, achievements, and current status of American hospice care.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the "Five Stages" Model in a Sampling of Recent Textbooks Published in 10 Countries Outside the United States.

A previous article in this journal examined some aspects of the enduring influence of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's "five stages" model through a sampling of recent American textbooks in selected academic disciplines and professional fields. This article offers a parallel sampling of 47 textbooks published in 10 different countries outside the United States. The questions to be answered are as follows: Does the "five stages" model appear without significant change in the textbooks described here?Is the "five stages" model applied in these textbooks to issues involving loss, grief, and bereavement as well as to those involving terminal illness and dying?Is the "five stages" model criticized in some or all of these textbooks?If so, is the criticism sufficient to argue that, while the "five stages" model might be presented as an important historical framework, it should no longer be regarded as a sound theory to guide contemporary education and practice?

Should We Incorporate the Work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in Our Current Teaching and Practice and, If So, How?

This article acknowledges the historical importance of the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and her five stages model. Because her name and this model appear in many textbooks, professional educational programs, and popular culture, should we incorporate these subjects in responsible ways in our current teaching and practice? The answer proposed here is that we should incorporate these subjects, but only if (a) we focus on her recommendations on behalf of active listening and learning from persons diagnosed with a terminal illness, (b) we limit ourselves to her descriptions of the individual reactions and responses experienced by her interviewees, (c) we acknowledge criticisms of the five stages model as a framework for understanding coping with life-threatening illness and dying, (d) we draw instead on alternative theories of coping with dying, and (e) we recognize dangers in applying this model to issues involving loss, grief, and bereavement and do not do so.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the 5 Stages Model in a Sampling of Recent North American Nursing Textbooks.

Nursing education programs and nursing textbooks often present accounts of the work of Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and her "5 stages" model. In this article, we examine a sampling of recent North American nursing textbooks to illustrate the different ways those subjects are discussed. Unfortunately, the information provided is not always accurate or helpful in guiding readers. We describe why that is so and suggest some ways in which better guidance could be delivered. It is particularly timely to undertake this examination since 2019 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of On Death and Dying, the well-known book in which Dr Kübler-Ross first published her theory and descriptions of the work that led to it.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the "Five Stages" Model in a Sampling of Recent American Textbooks.

This article examines some aspects of the enduring influence of the work of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and especially of her "five stages" model through a sampling of recent textbooks published in the United States in selected academic disciplines and professional fields. The following are the questions to be asked:1. Does the "five stages" model appear without significant change in the textbooks described here?2. Is the "five stages" model applied in these textbooks to issues involving loss, grief, and bereavement, as well as to those involving terminal illness and dying?3. Is the "five stages" model criticized in some or all of these textbooks?4. If so, is the criticism sufficient to argue that, while the "five stages" model might be presented as an important historical framework, it should no longer be regarded as a sound theory to guide contemporary education and practice?

Death Cafe.

This article explains the meaning of the phrase Death Cafe and describes what typically occurs at a Death Cafe gathering. The article traces the history of the Death Cafe movement, explores some reasons why people take part in a Death Cafe gathering, and gives examples of what individuals think they might derive from their participation. In addition, this article notes similarities between the Death Cafe movement and three other developments in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. Finally, this article identifies two provisional lessons that can be drawn from Death Cafe gatherings and the Death Cafe movement itself.

Hannelore Wass: Professional Influences and Legacies.

This article offers a reflection on the professional influence of Dr. Hannelore Wass on the author's introduction to and work in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. At the same time, it also offers comments on her broader influence on and legacies left to others who work in this field.

The death system according to Robert Kastenbaum.

This article focuses on Robert Kastenbaum's seminal concept of the societal death system. Beginning with conflicting claims that America is a death-denying society versus a death-accepting society, the article reports Kastenbaum's definition and description of the death system in American society and sets forth the seven functions and five elements or components of that death system. Next, the article notes Kastenbaum's further claim that "All cultures, past and present, have had death systems." Finally, two basic lessons are drawn from the foregoing: (1) Kastenbaum's concept of the death system provides a robust framework to explain the networks societies interpose between their members and death, focusing in particular on a more or less integrated and dynamic network within American society whose functions and components are not difficult to recognize in the ways in which they organize many aspects of the lives of individuals who live within that society; and (2) It is preposterous to assert without qualification that America is a death-denying society when there are so many activities and components within that society that are in whole or in part related to death, i.e., although it may be true that many aspects of the contemporary American death system appear to seek to remove death from the mainstream of life, there is ample evidence to indicate that American society as a whole and individuals within that society both accept and deny death simultaneously.

Donor families, distinctive secondary losses, and "second death" experiences.

Communication between donor families and the recipients of their loved ones' organs and tissues is a relatively new area of study. The National Kidney Foundation founded the National Donor Family Council in 1992 as a home for donor families. One of several items addressed by the Council was guidelines for communication, supporting the rights of donor families and recipients to communicate and build relationships should they choose to do so. Donation and transplant agencies play a strong role in facilitating and supporting donor families and recipients with these unique new relationships. This article offers 3 case examples of distinctive secondary losses and "second death" experiences encountered by some donor family members when the donation of tissues or organs they have authorized could not be used for transplantation, when those grafts fail or are rejected, or when the recipient dies. On that basis, the article explores the nature of these experiences and some reasons why they occur. Initial recommendations about how to address these experiences are provided. Finally, a 4-part agenda is suggested for research about (1) the nature of these distinctive secondary loss and second death experiences encountered by some donor families; (2) communications between donation and transplant professionals, on the one hand, and potential and actual donor family members, on the other hand; (3) the education, training, and support of professionals who provide bereavement support to donor family members; and (4) a review of the National Communication Guidelines.

Can individuals who are specialists in death, dying, and bereavement contribute to the prevention and/or mitigation of armed conflicts and cycles of violence?

Specialists in death, dying, and bereavement and their consequences for individuals, families, and communities have experience and research findings that are relevant to an understanding of the reactions of individuals faced by deadly violence. At such times, powerful emotions and ingrained patterns of thought and behavior can given rise to disproportionate responses that may feed into cycles of violence. An extended table shows how professionals helping individuals and families faced with violent death share common aims with those aiming to help larger social units faced with armed attacks. It follows that these professionals should work together to improve death education, to prepare people for possible deadly violence and, where possible, to suggest alternatives, to create secure places and relationships in which communication becomes possible, bad news can be broken and understood, feelings examined, differences reconciled, and people can redirect anger into the prevention of escalation rather than its perpetuation. All of these activities hold out hope that cycles of deadly violence can be broken as well as mitigating the consequences when they are not. The undoubted success of the worldwide palliative care movement resulted from the recognition of serious deficiencies in existing services, the provision of an inclusive, holistic, program that extends across medical, social psychological, and spiritual realms of discourse, providing care for patients and their families, irrespective of wealth, race, religion, and political persuasion, by dedicated leaders and teams backed by education and information services and organized across geographical boundaries. It is argued here that the time is ripe for a similar commitment to bring to an end the scandal of armed conflict by a similarly multidisciplinary, multicultural effort to relieve the suffering that both causes and results from armed conflict. This must remain independent of race, religion, political persuasion, and opposing sides and could build upon the leadership, educational models, information services, and international organizations that already exist for the provision of palliative and bereavement care.

Understanding bereavement, grief, and mourning: implications for donation and transplant professionals.

This article surveys recent literature on bereavement, grief, and mourning. It offers a review of the state of the art of current understandings of those topics to assist professionals who work in the field of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. The article's goal is to provide well-developed and up-to-date education and knowledge about bereavement, grief, and mourning to supplement the natural skills and experience of donation and transplant professionals in their work with bereaved persons.

Siblings and child friends in death-related literature for children.

This article explores ways in which siblings and child friends are represented as being involved in death and loss experiences. These representations are taken from 51 selected examples of death-related literature designed to be read by or with children. The main goal is to ask how these youngsters respond when confronted by the death of a sibling or child friend. How do they act when they are on their own, with each other, or with adults? This is important because these representations of children coping with death-related situations can serve as partial role models for the youngsters who read these books, either on their own or with a companion adult. And when adults are involved in reading, discussing, or examining books of this type, they can gain some insights into the world of children as portrayed by these authors, insights that adult readers might not otherwise have had, insights about how children respond to death-related situations, what they need, and how they might be helped.

Caregivers in death, dying, and bereavement situations.

This document examines issues related to the work of both formal and informal caregivers as they are involved in caring for dying and/or bereaved individuals. The examination is organized around five central questions: what brings individuals to this work?; what enables them to develop effective caregiving relationships?; what sustains them in their work?; what responsibilities do they have to themselves and to others?; and how are they are influenced by the social context of their work? The goal of this article is to help individuals and teams improve the care they provide in death-related situations, while also assisting educators, managers, and administrators to prepare and support these caregivers in more effective ways.