Dr. Therese Rando is joined by 17 contributing authors to present the most comprehensive resource available on the perspectives, issues, interventions, and changing views associated with anticipatory mourning. Content Highlights Introduction Part I Knowledge and Theory -- A Review and Critique of the Literature; The Six Dimensions of Anticipatory Mourning; Re-Creating Meaning in the Face of Illness; The Transition to Loving in Absence; The Transition of Fading Away; On the Experience of Traumatic Stress; Coping with Dying: Similarities, Differences, and Suggested Guidelines for Helpers; Denial and the Limits of Anticipatory Mourning; Towards an Appropriate Death Part II Anticipatory Mourning from Different Perspectives -- Grief in Dying Persons; Promoting Healthy Anticipatory Mourning in Intimates of the Life-Threatened or Dying Person; Challenges for Professional and Volunteer Caregivers Part III Specific and Applied Cases -- Anticipatory Mourning and Prenatal Diagnosis; Dealing with Chronic/Terminal Illness or Disability of a Child; Anticipatory Mourning in HIV/ AIDS; Mourning Psychosocial Loss: Alzheimers, ALS, and Irreversible Coma; Advance Directives; Organ Donation; The Human-Animal Bond

Provides both the theoretical background and the practical treatment interventions necessary for working with those who are bereaved or dying. Important topics such as anticipatory grief, postdeath mourning, and the stress of grief are described in detail. Special attention is given to grief caused by the death of a child or spouse, death by suicide, and children's grief.

The loss of a loved one is one of the most painful experiences that most of us will ever have to face in our lives. This book recognises that there is no single solution to the problems of bereavement but that an understanding of grief can help the bereaved to realise that they are not alone in their experience. Long recognised as the most authoritative work of its kind, this new edition has been revised and extended to take into account recent research findings on both sides of the Atlantic. Parkes and Prigerson include additional information about the different circumstances of bereavement including traumatic losses, disasters, and complicated grief, as well as providing details on how social, religious, and cultural influences determine how we grieve. Bereavement provides guidance on preparing for the loss of a loved one, and coping after they have gone. It also discusses how to identify the minority in whom bereavement may lead to impairment of physical and/or mental health and how to ensure they get the help they need. This classic text will continue to be of value to the bereaved themselves, as well as the professionals and friends who seek to help and understand them.

Death and dying and death-related behavior involve the causes of death and the nature of the actions and emotions surrounding death among the living. Interest in the varied dimensions of death and dying has led to the development of death studies that move beyond medical research to include behavioral science disciplines and practitioner-oriented fields. As a result of this interdisciplinary interest, the literature in the field has proliferated. This two-volume resource addresses the traditional death and dying–related topics but also presents a unique focus on the human experience to create a new dimension to the study of death and dying. With more than 300 entries, the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience includes the complex cultural beliefs and traditions and the institutionalized social rituals that surround dying and death, as well as the array of emotional responses relating to bereavement, grieving, and mourning. The Encyclopedia is enriched through important multidisciplinary contributions and perspectives as it arranges, organizes, defines, and clarifies a comprehensive list of death-related perspectives, concepts, and theories. Key Features Imparts significant insight into the process of dying and the phenomenon of death Includes contributors from Asia,; Africa; Australia; Canada; China; eastern, southern, and western Europe; Iceland; Scandinavia; South America; and the United States who offer important interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives Provides a special focus on the cultural artifacts and social institutions and practices that constitute the human experience Addresses death-related terms and concepts such as angel makers, equivocal death, end-of-life decision making, near-death experiences, cemeteries, ghost photography, halo nurses, caregiver stress, cyberfunerals, global religious beliefs and traditions, and death denial Presents a selective use of figures, tables, and images Key Themes Arts, Media, and Popular Culture Perspectives Causes of Death Conceptualization of Death, Dying, and the Human Experience Coping With Loss and Grief: The Human Experience Cross-Cultural Perspectives Cultural-Determined, Social-Oriented, and Violent Forms of Death Developmental and Demographic Perspectives Funerals and Death-Related Activities Legal Matters Process of Dying, Symbolic Rituals, Ceremonies, and Celebrations of Life Theories and Concepts Unworldly Entities and Events With an array of topics that include traditional subjects and important emerging ideas, the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience is the ultimate resource for students, researchers, academics, and others interested in this intriguing area of study.

If ever there was an area requiring that the research-practice gap be bridged, surely it occurs where thanatologists engage with people dealing with human mortality and loss. The field of thanatology—the study of death and dying—is a complex, multidisciplinary area that encompases the range of human experiences, emotions, expectations, and realities. The Handbook of Thanatology is the most authoritative volume in the field, providing a single source of up-to-date scholarship, research, and practice implications. The handbook is the recommended resource for preparation for the prestigious certificate in thanatology (CT) and fellow in thanatology (FT) credentials, which are administered and granted by ADEC.

Parental loss of a child is unlike any other loss. The grief of parents is particularly severe, complicated and long lasting, with major and unparalleled symptom fluctuations over time. Parental Loss of a Child investigates this specific and quite unique case of bereavement.