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A mediational model of grief intensity (Meuser & Marwit, 2000) was examined in a population at risk for complicated grief. Coping strategies (emotion-oriented, task-oriented, and avoidance-oriented coping) were hypothesized to mediate the influence of personality factors (neuroticism and extraversion) on grief. Bereaved mothers (N =138) completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and Revised Grief Experiences Inventory. Coping strategies partially mediated the influence of personality factors on grief. However, compared to prior findings among bereaved spouses, coping played a weaker mediating role, and neuroticism had a stronger direct influence on grief among bereaved mothers. Results suggest that personality and coping factors may function differently across different loss circumstances. (Contains 3 tables.)

The authors examined the associations of 3 types of psychological coping (task-based, emotion-based, avoidance), 2 types of religious coping (positive, negative), and their interactions with grief of 57 mothers bereaved by the sudden death of a child. Results indicated that mothers who use emotion-based coping report significantly higher levels of grief, whereas mothers who use avoidance coping report lower levels of grief. The interaction of task coping and positive religious coping was also associated with lower self-reported grief. The findings support the differential utility of various coping styles on mothers' grief reactions to the sudden death of a child.

This article describes the derivation of a short-form of the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI), an inventory designed to measure grief in caregivers of persons with progressive dementia. It presents initial reliability and validity data and describes ways to use the inventory both clinically and scientifically. The resulting MM-CGI Short Form, presented here in its entirety, is comprised of 18 items and, like its full-form relative, is self-scoring and yields a Total Grief score and sub-scale scores measuring factors representing Personal Sacrifice Burden, Heartfelt Sadness and Longing, and Worry and Felt Isolation.

Recently, considerable attention has been given to the cognitive processes entailed in mourning. There has been a growing understanding that the death of a loved one forces individuals to restructure and rebuild previously held assumptions about the self and the world. On the basis of this conceptualization of grief as a period of meaning reconstruction, cognitive-behavioral therapy seems a fitting intervention mechanism for treating individuals with complicated grief. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the theory, intervention mechanisms, and research on the application of cognitive-behavioral therapy to grief, in general, and to non-normative grief, in particular.

Recently research studies have begun to examine the theory that religion may help bereaved individuals to provide meaning (or an explanation) to an otherwise inconceivable event. In addition, there has been a growing understanding that bereavement forces individuals to restructure and rebuild previously held assumptions about the self and the world. The purpose of this paper is to examine the inter-relationship of religious coping, meaning reconstruction, and shattered assumptions by reviewing the literature of these three domains. Definitions surrounding 'religious coping' and 'meaning reconstruction' are clarified, and theoretical constructs are refined by exploring their relationships. Suggestions for future research are discussed, including methodological and conceptual considerations.

The present study examines the impact of various types of loss on the assumptive world views of bereaved parents. The World Assumptions Scale (WAS) and the Revised Grief Experience Inventory were administered to 135 parents bereaved by homicide (N = 64), accident (N = 37), and illness (N = 34), and to non-bereaved control parents (N = 30). Bereaved parents held more negative views of the benevolence of the world and reported lower self-worth. No differences were found on the meaningfulness of the world dimension. Parents bereaved by unexpected deaths (homicides and accidents) demonstrated more negative views on benevolence than parents bereaved by expected deaths (illnesses). Parents bereaved by homicide demonstrated the lowest sense of self-worth. Parents bereaved by fatal illness demonstrated the most negative meaningfulness scores. WAS scores were highly predictive of grief intensity; the gender of the deceased child and amount of time elapsed since death were not. Results were compared to earlier findings, and clinical implications are discussed herein.

Reviews literature relating to naturalistic and laboratory studies of primates, human bonding, family systems theory, psychoanalytic notions of multiple inner representations, and pathological parenting in child abuse and neglect. Attempts to understand uniqueness of parent-child attachments and unique grief experienced at death of child. Proposes model accounting for phenomenon within parental grief. (Author/NB)

The transition from “wife” to “caregiver” for a cognitively impaired husband can be an overwhelming experience. Communication patterns change and small conflicts can grow, at times bringing angry feelings and new burdens. Engagement with forgiveness processes may benefit wives by lowering resentment over past tensions, restoring trust, and enhancing the overall caregiving experience. This study examined the utility of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI) within a sample of caregiving wives. Our intent was to better understand this population’s experience with forgiveness when other contextual factors were likely to influence this process. Forgiveness scores on the EFI were positively related to the cognitive status of the care recipient, a particularly important finding for clinical intervention, and inversely related to marital distress and state anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Limited research has explored the measurement of forgiveness among middle-aged and older wives. Recall of past trangressions can lead to “damaging ruminations” that jeopardize one's spiritual peace (Callaby, Coleman, & Mills, 2012) and emotional well-being, making forgiveness more important. This online study examined the utility of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI) (Subkoviak et al., 1995) within a sample of 67 women. Participants completed the EFI, measures of religious coping, depression, anger, anxiety, and marital satisfaction. The EFI demonstrated sound psychometric properties. Forgiveness scores were inversely related to all constructs except religious coping, with which there was no significant relationship. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bereavement is a universal experience, and its association with excess morbidity and mortality is well established. Nevertheless, grief becomes a serious health concern for a relative few. For such individuals, intense grief persists, is distressing and disabling, and may meet criteria as a distinct mental disorder. At present, grief is not recognized as a mental disorder in the DSM-IV or ICD-10. The goal of this study was to determine the psychometric validity of criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) to enhance the detection and potential treatment of bereaved individuals at heightened risk of persistent distress and dysfunction. Methods and Findings: A total of 291 bereaved respondents were interviewed three times, grouped as 0-6, 6-12, and 12- 24 mo post-loss. Item response theory (IRT) analyses derived the most informative, unbiased PGD symptoms. Combinatoric analyses identified the most sensitive and specific PGD algorithm that was then tested to evaluate its psychometric validity. Criteria require reactions to a significant loss that involve the experience of yearning (e.g., physical or emotional suffering as a result of the desired, but unfulfilled, reunion with the deceased) and at least five of the following nine symptoms experienced at least daily or to a disabling degree: feeling emotionally numb, stunned, or that life is meaningless; experiencing mistrust; bitterness over the loss; difficulty accepting the loss; identity confusion; avoidance of the reality of the loss; or difficulty moving on with life. Symptoms must be present at sufficiently high levels at least six mo from the death and be associated with functional impairment. Conclusions: The criteria set for PGD appear able to identify bereaved persons at heightened risk for enduring distress and dysfunction. The results support the psychometric validity of the criteria for PGD that we propose for inclusion in DSM-V and ICD-11. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregivers of individuals with end-stage dementia experience increased grief reactions; however, their grief is too often overlooked by health professionals. Regardless of their practice setting, social workers must assess and intervene with caregivers dealing with grief. This article provides information on the Marwit and Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI) that was designed to measure the grief of caregivers of individuals with progressive memory loss. Through the use of case examples, key areas of assessment are highlighted, as well as initial areas for helping caregivers cope and heal from their experiences of grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: To investigate the psychometric and validity properties and applicability of a modified version of the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI) for use with caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Research design: Replicate Marwit and Meuser's original psychometric study assessing grief in caregivers of dementia patients. Methods and procedures: The MM-CGI was administered to 28 ABI caregivers along with standardized measures of caregiver strain, depression, well-being and family support. Main outcomes and results: Results for ABI caregivers were similar to those for dementia caregivers with the instrument demonstrating excellent internal consistency reliability for total and sub-scale grief scores and strong divergent validity. Results also parallel those of a recent study of cancer caregivers. Conclusions: The MM-CGI is as useful for diagnosing and treating grief in ABI caregivers as it is for those caring for persons with other serious illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-step qualitative/quantitative method was used to study the applicability and utility of awareness context theory (ACT) for understanding couples' communication when one member has early-stage dementia. Results indicate that the majority of early-stage demented spouses, primarily male in this study, maintain an idealized perception of communication and marital satisfaction that is often not matched by their partner. Where communication is acknowledged as mutually open, there are accompanying elevations in scores on marital satisfaction and intimacy. Disagreement about communication style is positively related to openness to professional help. Findings support the utility of ACT for understanding couples in early-stage dementia. A 6-category typology of ACT is presented for consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the impact of various types of loss on the assumptive world views of bereaved parents. The World Assumptions Scale (WAS) and the Revised Grief Experience Inventory were administered to 135 parents bereaved by homicide (N = 64), accident (N = 37), and illness (N = 34), and to non-bereaved control parents (N = 30). Bereaved parents held more negative views of the benevolence of the world and reported lower self-worth. No differences were found on the meaningfulness of the world dimension. Parents bereaved by unexpected deaths (homicides and accidents) demonstrated more negative views on benevolence than parents bereaved by expected deaths (illnesses). Parents bereaved by homicide demonstrated the lowest sense of self-worth. Parents bereaved by fatal illness demonstrated the most negative meaningfulness scores. WAS scores were highly predictive of grief intensity; the gender of the deceased child and amount of time elapsed since death were not. Results were compared to earlier findings, and clinical implications are discussed herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the variables underlying complicated grief (CG) in Missouri. Relationship between CG and the diagnosis of clinicians; Identification of variables considered relevant in the representative cases; Provision of a model for evaluating other CG taxonomies.

Twenty-six male and 86 female, predominantly White, non-terminal cancer patients addressed preferences for disclosure of terminal prognosis, should their disease advance to that stage. Specific inquiries were made about desired levels of disclosure (full, partial, or non-disclosure) and desired pathways of disclosure (from physician to patient only, from physician to patient in the presence of a loved one, or from physician to loved one only). Gender, previous experience with death, and trait anxiety were associated with level preference. Education, previous experience with death, and trait anxiety were associated with pathway preference. Variables predictive of level and pathway preference were identified, benefits to physicians and patients were explored, and sampling limitations were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which developed a model of caregiver grief that could serve as basis for developing psychometric instruments to measure a full range of dementia caregiver grief responses. Method; Results; Discussion.

Focuses on the administration the World Assumptions Scale and the Revised Grief Experience Inventory to parents of murdered children and parents bereaved by sudden accidental death in the United States. Comparison of the views of parents of the benevolence of the world; Similarity of self worthiness; Discussion of clinical implications.

Assesses the extent and relative importance of deceased mentors in the lives of their surviving proteges. Definition of the quality of active inner representations and their determining factors; Emergence of three active roles, namely, role model, situation specific guidance and values clarification; Inactive role designated as remembrance formation.

Studies contrasting conceptualizations of the personality's effect upon grief. Traditional ego psychology view versus the Lazarus and Folkman's contextual coping model; Eysenck Personality questionnaire and Grief Experience Inventory, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations administered; Variables such as neuroticism, extraversion and others.

Seventy-seven female and 86 male psychologist practitioners filled out the Bem Sex Rote Inventory to describe either a healthy adult male, healthy adult female, or healthy adult, sex unspecified. Analyzing the data according to Bem's classification of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny produced a significant Scale X Condition interaction with male and female practitioners ascribing significantly more masculine than feminine traits to healthy adult men, yet displaying no comparable differences when rating healthy adult women. Analyzing the data according to Spence's classification of masculine, feminine, androgynous, and undifferentiated produced a Group X Condition interaction with practitioners ascribing significantly more masculine traits to healthy adult men and significantly more feminine traits to healthy adult women. Reanalyses omitting "masculine" and "feminine" from Bem's fist of sex-typed traits produced nonsignificant results. The relationship of this to recent criticisms of the construct validity of the BSRI and to the validity of earlier results of therapist sex-role bias was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Videotaped Rorschach instructions from a previous study in which two experimenters had biased subjects for high productivity and two experimenters had biased subjects for low productivity were played (audio or combined audio-visual channels) to matched subjects who then took the free association portion of the test. Biased results were obtained for one experimenter only. These did not interact with communication channels. It was concluded that experimenter-expectancy effects in Rorschach testing are not transmitted simply by exposing subjects to biased experimenters' instructions, but instead depend upon experimenter attributes which may or may not manifest themselves during the instructional phase. Limited evidence suggesting that expectancies are transmitted as effectively by audio as by a combination of audio and visual cues was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines whether memories of the deceased play active roles in the ongoing lives of survivors. Successful grief resolution; Investigation of the existence of inner representation of the deceased in the lives of the living; Definition of the nature of inner representation; Search for variables which may predict membership in representational categories.

SUMMARY Fifty-two persons (26 married couples) competed in a complex reaction time task and set durations of 100 db noise for either their respective spouses or an opposite sex stranger. Each S's punitive settings were countered by four presequenced counteraggression strategies. Wives were responsive to a broader range of aggression reduction strategies than were husbands. Results suggest that minimum retaliation is most consistently effective across sex and may be a behavior skill necessary to avoid escalation of aggression and to keep communication channels open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- Fifty-seven children, aped 9-12 completed the Children's Depression Inventory, rated their bodies on dimensions of attractiveness, effectiveness and vulnerability, and rated themselves and three other children on global attractiveness. Dysphoria was significantly correlated with both measures of dissatisfaction of own attractiveness. No significant correlations occurred between CDI scores and effectiveness or vulnerability. Stepwise regression showed dysphoria to be predicted by dissatisfaction with the body's attractiveness and by age with the former being the most powerful. No subject differences were found on rating the attractiveness of other children. Results are compared to research with adult subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the experiences of parental death and parental divorce in adolescence. Perceived helpfulness of support-intended communications and the perceived helpfulness of social support providers; Differences between death and divorce survivor groups and between survivor and potential provider groups; Elements of grief and grief support.

For a study of personality constructs associated with the experience of perceiving the presence of deceased loved ones, 20 male and 67 female bereaved participants completed Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire, Rotter's Locus of Control Scale, and a questionnaire related to the personal sensing experience. As hypothesized, perceivers exhibited higher scores on neuroticism and externalized control; contrary to expectations, perceivers demonstrated more extraversive than introversive tendencies. Perceived presence was not mediated bythe quality of support available to the perceiver, was not generally correlated with specific demographic factors, and was most often characterized as comforting. Results are discussed in relation to current theories of grieving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on hyperkinesis contains considerable disagreement regarding the disorder's terminology, etiology, behavioral correlates, and treatment techniques. This paper explores the possibility that two distinct patterns of hyperkinesis exist and that the failure to delineate these has resulted in the conflicting reports evidenced throughout the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bereavement is a universal experience, and its association with excess morbidity and mortality is well established. Nevertheless, grief becomes a serious health concern for a relative few. For such individuals, intense grief persists, is distressing and disabling, and may meet criteria as a distinct mental disorder. At present, grief is not recognized as a mental disorder in the DSM-IV or ICD-10. The goal of this study was to determine the psychometric validity of criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) to enhance the detection and potential treatment of bereaved individuals at heightened risk of persistent distress and dysfunction. Methods and Findings: A total of 291 bereaved respondents were interviewed three times, grouped as 0–6, 6–12, and 12–24 mo post-loss. Item response theory (IRT) analyses derived the most informative, unbiased PGD symptoms. Combinatoric analyses identified the most sensitive and specific PGD algorithm that was then tested to evaluate its psychometric validity. Criteria require reactions to a significant loss that involve the experience of yearning (e.g., physical or emotional suffering as a result of the desired, but unfulfilled, reunion with the deceased) and at least five of the following nine symptoms experienced at least daily or to a disabling degree: feeling emotionally numb, stunned, or that life is meaningless; experiencing mistrust; bitterness over the loss; difficulty accepting the loss; identity confusion; avoidance of the reality of the loss; or difficulty moving on with life. Symptoms must be present at sufficiently high levels at least six mo from the death and be associated with functional impairment. Conclusions: The criteria set for PGD appear able to identify bereaved persons at heightened risk for enduring distress and dysfunction. The results support the psychometric validity of the criteria for PGD that we propose for inclusion in DSM-V and ICD-11.

The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Revised Grief Experience Inventory, and World Assumptions Scale were administered to 111 bereaved parents. The PTGI scores indicate that many bereaved parents report personal growth in domains outlined by L.G. Calhoun and R. G. Tedeschi (2001). Grief intensity was inversely correlated with growth scores. Self-worth was a strong predictor of growth scores, whereas assumptions about the benevolence and meaningfulness of the world were not correlated with growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]