Death Education Assn welcomes article on grief, more research needed

Newswise — An article that focused on the stages of grief theory published in the Feb. 21, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), is among the topics that will be addressed at the 29th Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) Annual Conference, April 12-15, 2007, in Indianapolis, Ind.

The article, “An Empirical Examination of the Stage Theory of Grief,” garnered much attention in the popular press. ADEC welcomes this new research focused on examining stages of grief, but disagrees with some of the conclusions drawn by the authors. The JAMA article is part of a large and growing body of research in the field of thanatology, the study of death and dying.

“In contrast to conclusions drawn by the study authors, ADEC does not support the implication that everyone experiencing negative emotions beyond six months of a death loss from natural causes needs psychotherapy. Such need depends on many more factors, including the intensity as well as frequency of negative emotions,” said ADEC President Jack LoCicero.

As noted by the authors, their study is a beginning step in examining stage models. It is ADEC’s position that more dynamic assessments (e.g., instruments with more than one item, measurement of severity in addition to frequency, broader sampling) are needed before firm conclusions can be made regarding the presence of specific stages of grief.

The acknowledgement of yearning and acceptance as perhaps the primary aspects of grieving is an important finding. Unfortunately, it has been common for the experience of grief to be equated with depression and/or sadness--a misconception often held by the general public, mental health practitioners, and researchers alike. Although sadness and depression are experienced in grief, this study indicates that they are likely not the defining features of the grief experience.

The Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), founded in 1976, is a professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence and recognizing diversity in death education, care of the dying, grief counseling and research in thanatology. Based on quality research and theory, the association provides information, support and resources to its international, multicultural, multidisciplinary membership and through it, to the public.