Psyc 222 Unit 9a: Death, Dying and Bereavement Developmental Psychology II Unit 9a: Death, Dying and Bereavement Dean Owen, Ph.D., LPCC Spring 2011

Before we begin….. Akartürk, Bahire 23-May Atacan, Hanife 12-May Bos, Ayşa Sinem Gündüz, İrem 26-May Işık, Bahar Kaçan, Tolga Hasan Sarıkus, Özgen Şeker, Rohime ??

Plan for next week. May 2 Review for midterm #2 Outline for presentation May 5 Midterm #2

Does someone have the right to control his/her time of death? What are the limits of personal freedom? Length of life and quality of life are different…… Karen Ann Quinlan 1954-1985 Terri Schiavo 1963-2005

Some Important Definitions. Euthanasia: The practice of ending the life of a person suffering from an incurable condition. Passive Euthanasia: The practice withdrawing or withholding medical treatment thereby allowing a patient to die naturally. Voluntary Active Euthanasia: The practice of acting on a patient’s request to end suffering before the natural end of life. Assisted Suicide: The action of a medical professional is providing assistance (equipment, drugs, information) to allow an individual end her/his life to end suffering. Advance Medical Directive/Living Will: a legal document prepared in advance that specifies desired medical treatment if someone should become incurably ill and incapacitated.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian An outspoken advocate of assisted suicide who maintained that If one is suffering from an incurable medical condition with no reasonable hope of recovery and The patient is capable of making a reasoned and rational decision to avoid further pain, loss of bodily control, dignity, or autonomy then… The option should be made available to provide the necessary knowledge and materials to allow an individual to choose death. .

Some Important Definitions. Bereavement: The loss of a loved one through death Grief: Intense physical and psychological distress resulting from loss Mourning: The culturally specified expression of a bereaved person’s thoughts and feelings. Societal customs may dictate the forms of mourning expression. Anticipatory Grief: Grief that occurs among loved ones during a prolonged period leading up to an expected death.

The 3 Phases of the Grief Process. Avoidance: Shock and disbelief: May last for hours to weeks and functions to dull the full impact of the loss. Confrontation: The gradual recognition of loss and the grief response is most intense and may include a variety of emotional reactions including anxiety, depression, anger, helplessness, frustration, abandonment and deep yearning for the deceased. Restoration: Adjustment to the loss including learning to cope with both primary stressors (direct loss of the deceased) and secondary stressors (changes in lifestyle or living conditions).

Childhood Resilience The resilience and recovery trajectory EKCA-2009

Grief EKCA-2009 10

Funerals Formal ceremonies used to commemorate the life of a deceased person and to mark their passing. May be secular or religious but always a mark of the culture. 11

Variable Affecting Grief Gender Males: Consistent with other forms of loss, men typically express grief distress is less direct ways and tend to become more reclusive and less social during the process. Mortality during grief is higher. Females: Far more likely to reach out for social support from friends and family during the grieving process.

Variable Affecting Grief Relationship with deceased Close and loving bond: Grief is likely to be intense and uncomplicated….emotional response is prompted by the loss of an important individual. Conflict ridden or angry relationship: Grief is likely to be complicated by feelings of loss PLUS anger, guilt, and regret.

Variable Affecting Grief Expected vs Unexpected Death Sudden and unexpected death: Grief reaction is likely to dwell in the avoidance stage…characterized by shock and disbelief….Murder, suicide, war, accident, SIDS….often lacking a logical reason. Expected loss: Death that is expected permits anticipatory grieving to occur. Death that comes in this way is often understood as reasonable…disease, age, etc.

Variable Affecting Grief Death of a Child The death of a child, expected or not, is regarded as the most difficult loss an adult can experience. The “WHY” of loss: One mediating factor in grief is the plausible explanation for the death….. Old people die Accidents happen, Disease can kill Soldiers die But innocent children should not!!!

Variable Affecting Grief Loss of a Parent or sibling The loss of an attachment figure has been shown to have a long lasting effect on children and adolescents. This is true for both parents and siblings. The death of a sibling often is the first reminder in a child’s life that they are vulnerable.

Variable Affecting Grief Bereavement Overload An individual who experience multiple deaths or several in rapid succession bereavement overload may occur. Circumstances may simply overwhelm an individual’s coping mechanism and their will to continue to struggle. This can precipitate a complicated grief reaction and have long lasting effects.

Bereavement Overload The effect of multiple or repeated traumas EKCA-2009 18

Resolving Grief Understanding the phases of grief will prepare you for the changes and emotions you will experience. Give yourself time for the grief process to occur…..grief takes time. Don’t close off communication with friends and family…accept their love and support Expect that the grief recovery period will not necessarily be a steady climb back to normalcy….the road will be rocky at times…. Give yourself time and permission to remember the deceased…. When you feel comfortable begin to become active again…..although you may feel like you died…you did not die, a loved one did.

Death Education Goals In earlier times death was something that touched families in a far more personal fashion. Death Education is seen as a way of providing knowledge and information that is no longer commonly available through family interaction. Increasing students’ understanding of the physical and psychological changes that accompany dying. Helping students learn how to cope with the death of a loved one. Preparing students to be informed consumers of medical and funeral services. Promoting understand of social and ethical issues involving death.

Questions or comments ??