This document discusses the difficulties in measuring and defining grief as well as opportunities for future grief research. It notes that while grief research can benefit participants, it also raises ethical concerns. It also summarizes debates around defining grief, differentiating between normal and pathological grief, and tools that have been used to measure grief. The document advocates for more research on non-pathological grief, tools to measure growth after bereavement, and interventions that can promote progress in grief.

1. Difficulties and OpportunitiesNAGC 14th Annual Symposium June 25, 2010 © Bo’s Place 2010Measuring Grief:

2. IntroductionsCorrine Walijarvi, MS, MBA, LMSWClinical Researcher, Bo’s PlacePhD student, University of Houston, Graduate College of Social WorkDoctoral Associate, University of HoustonAnn H. Weiss, MAT, MEd, LPCProgram Director, Bo’s Place

3. Bo’s Place Research Goals Promote quality researchMaintain the highest ethical standardsProvide results useful to practitionersProvide insights helpful to the bereavedCommunicate research and findingsOnline: NAGSSConferences

4. NAGSSAvailable at bosplace.0rgSummaries of peer-reviewed articlesBibliographical informationSummary of key findingsSummary of service provider implicationsTarget audience: service providers On-going program

5. Why is grief research difficult?Ethical concernsLack of consensus on definitionsWhat is grief?What is recovery? Resilience? Growth?Lack of appropriate measurementsTiming issuesControl and comparison groups

6. Ethical ConcernsGrief research can be an effective interventionParticipants in grief research identify substantial benefits from participation: (Beck & Konnert, 2007) Tell the storyGain insights into own thoughts, feelingsFind meaning in the deathParticipation contributes to greater understanding of the grief processNormalizes the grief experience

7. Implications for ResearchResearch with the bereaved can be ethically designed and conductedCautions and considerations (Williams, Woodbury, Bailey, & Burglo, 2008)Time since deathChoice of siteInformed consentEmpathic, trained interviewersControl over pace

8. Why is grief difficult to define?Multiple definitions

9. Work

10. Processes

11. Emotions

12. Stages/tasks/phases

13. Grief is an abstract construct

14. Nearly universal experience

15. Uniquely experiencedDiverse models applied to griefPsychodynamic: search for pathologyExistential: search for meaningCognitive behavioral: search for functioningSystems: search for relationshipsConstructionist: create on-going story

16. Grief Patterns

17. What about time frames?At what point is intense grief pathological?At what point should interventions be offered?How long should interventions last?How long should follow-ups occur?Does grief end?Much debate remains regarding timeframes

18. Grief as pathologyConsensus has grown after years of debate:

19. 15% -20% of grief is pathological

20. Grief is a distinct construct

21. Not depression

22. Not PTSD