Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan is unique in its treatment of grieving patterns and intervention strategies for different age groups. With this book, students and practitioners will learn how grief is influenced by biological responses to stress, psychological responses to loss, as well as social norms and support networks.
The authors utilize a developmental framework, as each level of development from infancy through old age is addressed in four ways:
Reviews normal developmental issues, abilities, and challenges for the age in question
Analyzes how individuals of each age cope with serious loss of a significant other, and how they may experience life-threatening illness themselves
Examines how significant others react to and mourn the death of someone in that age range
Identifies the normative losses a person is likely to experience, and addresses protective and risky ways of coping with those losses
The authors review important grief theories, such as postmodern and Dual Process Theory, and discuss current topics in grief, including continuing bonds, meaning making, ambiguous loss, and disenfranchised loss. With the help of this book, practitioners and students of grief counseling can learn to help patients of all ages understand that loss is at the heart of life and growth.