Also called: Also called: Grief
Bereavement is the period of grief and mourning after a death. When you grieve, it's part of the normal process of reacting to a loss. You may experience grief as a mental, physical, social or emotional reaction. Mental reactions can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness and despair. Physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems or illness.
How long bereavement lasts can depend on how close you were to the person who died, if the person's death was expected and other factors. Friends, family and faith may be sources of support. Grief counseling or grief therapy is also helpful to some people.
National Cancer Institute
- Coping with Bereavement(Mental Health America) - http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/grief-and-bereavement/coping-with-loss
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Death and Grief(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/someone_died.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/mente/someone_died_esp.html
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Loss, Grief, and Bereavement (PDQ)
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/bereavement/Patient/page2
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/cuidados-medicos-apoyo/duelo/Patient/page2
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JAMA Patient Page: Grief(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/293/21/2686.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/293/21/2686/DC1/1
- Anticipatory Grief Symptoms: What's the Big Deal?(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=13
- You Know You Are Getting Better When...(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=8
- Adults Grieving the Death of a Sibling(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Adults_Grieving_the_Death_of_a_Sibling.aspx
- Bereaved Employee: Returning to Work(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=8
- Clinical Hypnotherapy(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/clinical_hypnotherapy/hic_clinical_hypnotherapy.aspx
- Complicated Grief(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/complicated-grief/DS01023/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Coping with Holidays and Family Celebrations(American Hospice Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanhospice.org/media/upload/Coping%20with%20Holidays%20%20Family%20Celebrations-11.18.05.pdf
- Funerals and Memorials: A Part of Recovery(American Psychiatric Association) - http://healthyminds.org/funerals.cfm
- Grief: Coping with the Reminders After a Loss(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/grief/MH00036/METHOD=print
- Helping Your Bereaved Friend(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=8
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Mourning the Death of a Spouse(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/spouse.htm
- On Being Alone: A Guide for the Newly Widowed(AARP) - http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/a2004-11-15-newlywidowed.html?print=yes
- Reactions to Sudden or Traumatic Loss(AARP) - http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/a2004-11-15-reations.html?print=yes
- Seven Choices of Grief(AARP) - http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/a2004-11-15-sevenchoices.html?print=yes
- Writing a Condolence Note(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=8
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bereavement(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Bereavement%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Grief(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Grief%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Supporting children and families facing the death of a parent:... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18681343&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Bereavement in families with relatives dying of cancer. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18660724&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Managing chronic sorrow: experiences of patients with multiple sclerosis. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18578277&tool=MedlinePlus
- Bereavement -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=bereavement[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Community Resources(AARP) - http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/a2004-11-15-community.html?print=yes
- Center for Mental Health Services - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
- Compassionate Friends - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/
- Caring for Surviving Children(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Caring_for_Surviving_Children.aspx
- Death of a Child, the Grief of the Parents: A Lifetime Journey(National Sudden Infant Death Resource Center) - http://www.sidscenter.org/Bereavement/LifetimeJourney.html?fromparent=parent&id=4&heading=DeathOfAChild
- Death of a Special Needs Child(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Death_of_a_Special-Needs_Child.aspx
- Death of an Adult Child(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Death_of_an_Adult_Child.aspx
- For Parents: Childhood Traumatic Grief Educational Materials(National Child Traumatic Stress Network) - Large PDF file - http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/reports/parents_package1-15-04.pdf
- Grief of Stepparents When a Child Dies(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/The_Grief_of_Stepparents.aspx
- Helping a Grieving Parent(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=8
- Helping Your Child Deal with Death(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/death.html
- Military Kids: Responding to Their Grief(American Hospice Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=8
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Somebody in My Friend's Family Died. What Should I Do?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/friend/family_friend_died.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sentimientos/family_friend_died_esp.html
- Stillbirth, Miscarriage, and Infant Death(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Stillbirth,_Miscarriage,_and_Infant_Death.aspx
- Surviving Your Child's Suicide(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Surviving_Your_Child%E2%80%99s_Suicide.aspx
- Ways Parents Can Cope(AARP) - http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/a2004-11-15-cope.html?print=yes
- When a Co-Worker Is Grieving the Death of a Child(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/When_a_Coworker_is_Grieving_the_Death_of_a_Child.aspx
- When a Pet Dies(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/pet_death.html
- When an Employee Is Grieving the Death of a Child(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/When_an_Employee_is_Grieving.aspx
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Death and Grief(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/someone_died.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/mente/someone_died_esp.html
- Grieving Teen(American Hospice Foundation) - http://www.americanhospice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=8
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When a Brother or Sister Dies(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/When_a_Brother_or_Sister_Dies.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/Cuando_muere_un_hermano_o_hermana_.aspx
- Grief of Grandparents(Compassionate Friends) - http://www.compassionatefriends.org/Other_Pages/The_Grief_of_Grandparents_.aspx
- End of Life Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endoflifeissues.html
- Mental Health and Behavior - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealthandbehavior.html
- Social/Family Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/socialfamilyissues.html