Book dossier

The many faces of bereavement

by Ginny Sprang

The Many Faces of Bereavement explores the development and specifications of traditional models of grieving, with particular emphasis on the relationship, age, and personal characteristics of the mourner. In addition, the volume provides a framework of symptomatology for nontraumatic, nonstigmatic deaths for the purpose of comparative study. The book opens with a comprehensive overview of the traditional models of grief, with special attention given to the treatment of parental grief and the grief response of the elderly following the death of a spouse. Other chapters cover suggested typologies for traumatized and stigmatized processes of grief that are specific to the mode of death, including murder, drunk driving fatalities, community disasters, suicide, and AIDS-related deaths. Finally, the authors draw on their own personal experiences to present a summation of treatment strategies and considerations for working with bereaved patients.