Study Examines 'Normal' Grieving
Emotions Typically Peak Within 6 Months
WebMD News Archive
Talking About Death
Sudden death was associated with a higher degree of disbelief among
survivors. While this finding is not surprising, Prigerson says it too has
major implications for clinical practice.
Terminal illness was the cause of the vast majority of deaths in the study.
Researchers found that having knowledge of a diagnosis for six months or longer
was associated with higher levels of acceptance among survivors.
"We know that very few doctors discuss life expectancy with their
terminal patients and their loved ones," Prigerson says. "That is a
hard conversation to have, but it is an important one."
Prigerson acknowledges that the grief model may not apply to other
populations, such as survivors grieving deaths from unnatural causes like car
crashes and suicide, or parents grieving the loss of a child.
But the researchers point out that more than nine out of 10 deaths in the
U.S. are the result of natural causes, and the vast majority of these deaths
occur among middle-aged and elderly people like the ones reflected in the
Grief counselor David Fireman says even among this population it is
difficult to characterize what it normal when it comes to reactions to the
death of a loved one.
Fireman is director of the Center for Grief Recovery in Chicago.
"Grief is very personal and many variables are involved," he says.
"Grief is a process, not a condition, and from my perspective there is no
correct timetable for the waves of grief that people feel."