Editing Mental Health and Psychosocial Nursing (section)

=== Grief and Loss ===
Kübler-Ross's stages (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) are not linear and not obligatory. Other useful frames include Worden's four tasks of mourning (accept the reality of the loss, process the pain, adjust to a world without the deceased, and find an enduring connection while moving forward) and Bowlby's phases.

Types: '''anticipatory''' grief before the loss, '''disenfranchised''' grief that society does not acknowledge (perinatal loss, loss of a same-sex partner in unsupportive settings, loss of a pet, death of an estranged relative), and '''complicated or prolonged grief''' with persistent intense yearning, preoccupation, and functional impairment beyond 12 months in adults.

Nursing interventions: be present, use silence, avoid clichés such as "at least" and "everything happens for a reason," use the deceased person's name, permit the full range of feeling including anger and relief, honor cultural and religious rituals, offer memory-making for perinatal and pediatric loss, and refer for bereavement support. Assess your own grief; staff bereavement is real and unaddressed staff grief drives burnout.