End-of-life decisions and care in the midst of a global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

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Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 2020, vol. 58

Pattison, Natalie

This article examines the unprecedented and unfolding global situation with Coronavirus (the virus SaRS Cov-2, leading to the disease named COVID-19) (WHO, 2020) which has forced health care providers across the world to consider end-of-life issues in a very rapidly changing scenario.

Submitting to God's will: attitudes and beliefs of Moroccan Muslim women regarding mourning and remembrance

Death Studies, 2019 43(8) p.478-488

Ahaddour, Chaïma; Van den Branden, Stef; Broeckaert, Bert

This study aimed to elicit the attitudes and beliefs of middle-aged and elderly Moroccan Muslim women regarding mourning and remembrance, to identify whether differences are observable between middle-aged and elderly participants, to explore the role of religion and to document how the actual attitudes of the participants relate to normative Islamic literature. Interviews were conducted with middle-aged and elderly Moroccan women living in Belgium (n = 30) and with experts in the field (n = 15). This study reveals that the religious beliefs have a great impact on the views of Muslim women. Striking similarities were found between participants' views and normative Islamic literature.

Group singing in bereavement: effects on mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem and well-being

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, June 2019
Fancourt, Daisy; Finn, Saoirse; Warran, Katey; Wiseman, Theresa

This study used a non-randomised controlled design to explore the effects of group choir singing on mental health among people who have been bereaved due to cancer.  Participants who sang in a choir had more stable symptoms of depression and levels of well-being, as well as gradual improvements in their sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem over the 24 weeks. In contrast, those in the control group showed gradual increases in depressive symptoms, reductions in levels of well-being and self-esteem and no improvement in their self-efficacy.  These results were independent of all covariates.  The authors conclude that weekly group singing could be a promising mutual support intervention for people experiencing grief.

Fulltext available in BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

Young people and their understanding of loss and bereavement

Bereavement Care, 2019 38(1)  p.6-12
Scott, Ros; Wallace, Rebecca; Audsley, Annie; Chary, Srini

The aim of this study was to explore how pupils aged between 12 and 18 understand major loss, death and dying, whom they talk to and the support they access at these times, and their awareness of the range of support available to them.  It was found that pupils who had experience of major loss or bereavement showed significant awareness of their feelings. It appears that young people primarily seek support from family, friends and the school.

Welcoming death: exploring pre-death grief experiences of caregivers of older adults with dementia

Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, Nov 2018 ; p. 1-17
Hovland, Cynthia

This qualitative study explored the end-of-life experiences for 36 bereaved family caregivers of older adults with dementia, focusing on understanding their experiences with pre-death grief. These caregivers shared experiences with the phenomenon of "welcoming death" and findings highlighted the primary reasons they anticipated, accepted, or wished for the death of their family member with dementia. With the overarching goal of improving bereavement outcomes and reducing feeling of guilt, the author recommends pre-death grief support services throughout the caregiving process.

Mending the heart and mind during times of loss: a review of interventions to improve emotional well-being during spousal bereavement

Bereavement Care, 2018 37(2) p. 44-54
Shahane, Anoushka D.; Fagundes, Christopher P.; Denny, Bryan T.

In this paper the authors review evidence from existing pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment approaches for normal bereavement, complicated grief, and bereavement-related depression, and look ahead to promising future interventions.

Psychological ideas in palliative care: distress, adjustment and coping

European Journal of Palliative Care; Jan 2018; vol. 25 (no. 1); p. 26-31

Jenny Strachan

In the latest in this Psychology in Palliative Practice series, Jenny Strachan looks at distress, coping and adjustment and considers when is a reaction normal and when does it become a problem.

Fulltext available in European Journal of Palliative Care (contact library for login details)

Available in print in Arthur Rank Hospice Library, Cambridge

Family Anticipatory Grief: An Integrative Literature Review

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,  September 2017, 34(8) 774-85

Coelho A, Barbosa A.

Uncertainty persists in anticipatory grief (AG) literature, concerning its definition and basic characteristics. This review synthesizes recent research in order to develop further knowledge about the family experience of AG during a patient's end of life.  Ten themes were identified, which correspond to AG nuclear characteristics, contributing to a deeper conceptualization of the term and to a more sensitive clinical practice.

The mourning process of older people with dementia who lost their spouse

Journal of Advanced Nursing; Sep 2017; 73(9) 2143-2155

Watanabe, Akiko; Suwa, Sayuri

In this study, the authors aimed to explore the mourning process of people with dementia who have lost their spouse using family caregivers' and professionals' perspectives and devise grief care for people with dementia.

Towards a model of loss navigation in adolescence

Death Studies; May 2017; vol. 41 (5) p 291-302
Lytje, Martin

The Model of Loss Navigation in Adolescence was developed from a focus group study with 39 Danish adolescents (aged 9-17). Centered on the three factors--Being Different, Being in Control, and Being in Grief--the model highlights the social conventions children have to navigate and how these influence both their day-to-day lives and their road to recovery.

Building community capacity in bereavement support: lessons learnt from bereaved caregivers

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Apr 2017; vol. 34 (no. 3) pp 275-281
Breen, Lauren J.; Aoun, Samar M.; Rumbold, Bruce; McNamara, Beverley; Howting, Denise A.; Mancini, Vincent

The study's purpose was to inform bereavement support by determining the advice people bereaved through expected deaths in palliative care have for others in that situation.   The authors suggest their responses could be incorporated into information brochures, posters, and other community education avenues in order to upskill palliative care bereavement volunteers and the wider community so that bereaved family caregivers are best supported.

Recommendations to reduce inequalities for LGBT people facing advanced illness: ACCESSCare national qualitative interview study

Palliative Medicine 2017 April 1
Katherine Bristowe, Matthew Hodson, Bee Wee, Kathryn Almack, Katherine Johnson, Barbara A Daveson, Jonathan Koffman, Linda McEnhill, Richard Harding

Despite recent legislative change, experiences of discrimination and exclusion in health care persist for LGBT people. Ten recommendations, for health-care professionals and services/institutions, are made from the data which are simple, low cost and offer potential gains in access to, and outcomes of, care for LGBT people.

Full text available in Palliative Medicine

A walk through bereavement theory

End of Life Journal, 2017, 6(1)
Isabel Dosser

The aim of this article is to give nurses and other health professionals an overview of some of the main bereavement theories which have developed over the last 50 years, enabling them to better understand the grief process and provide evidence-based support to patients and families.

Supporting children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder through bereavement

Bereavement Care, 2016, 35(3) 94-101

Koehler, Katie

The author explores some of the underlying perceptual and processing difficulties observed in children with ASD that may affect their understanding of death and their reaction to a bereavement.  It suggests some approaches which may help children and includes a list of helpful resources.

Fulltext available in Bereavement Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank Hospice Library, Cambridge

The bereavement experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people who have lost a partner: A systematic review, thematic synthesis and modelling of the literature

Palliative Medicine; Sep 2016; vol. 30(8) 730-744

Bristowe, Katherine; Marshall, Steve; Harding, Richard

The studies identified in this review described universal experiences of the pain of losing a partner; however, additional barriers and stressors were reported for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people, including homophobia, failure to acknowledge the relationship, additional legal and financial issues and the 'shadow' of HIV or AIDS. A novel model was developed to explain how the experience for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people is shaped by whether the relationship was disclosed and acknowledged in life and into bereavement and how this impacts upon needs and access to care. 

Full text available in  Palliative Medicine

Available in print in Arthur Rank Hospice Library. Cambridge

The mental health and mortality impact of death of a partner with dementia

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Aug 2016, vol. 31, no. 8, p. 929-937

Shah, Sunil M, Carey, Iain M, Harris, Tess, DeWilde, Stephen, Victor, Christina R, Cook, Derek G

The health in the year before and after loss of a partner with dementia compared with other bereavements is described.  In the year before bereavement, partners of individuals dying with dementia experience poorer mental health than those facing bereavement from other causes, and their partner is less likely to receive palliative care. In the year after, individuals whose partner died with dementia experience some attenuation of the adverse health effects of bereavement. Services need to address the needs of carers for individuals dying with dementia and improve access to palliative care. 

Two worlds: Adolescents' strategies for managing life with a parent in hospice

Palliative and Supportive Care, 2016 June, vol/iss 14/3, p177-86

Denice Kopchak Sheehan, M. Murray Mayo, Grace H. Christ, Kim Heim, Stephanie Parish, Ghada Shahrour and Claire Burke Draucker

This study explored the strategies adolescents used to cope with their parents' illness in the last months of life and shortly after their death. The authors describe the 'two worlds' in which adolescents live and the stages through which they pass in the course of the parent's illness and following bereavement. The results of this research can help in the development of targeted interventions to meet an adolescent's specific needs.

Fulltext available in Palliative and Supportive Care

Is pedagogy of mortality a good approach to bereavement care?

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2016 May/June 23(3) 146-148

Paul J Moon

In this article, the author argues that one aspect of bereavement care could be to support grievers in developing a meaningful sense of need for active preparation for future death events, including one's own: the pedagogy of mortality.

Available in print in Arthur Rank Hospice Library, Brookfields Hospital

Shadow into Light: a Bristol-based arts project for bereavement

Bereavement Care, Jan 2016, vol. 35, no. 1, p. 7-12,

Glover, Eleanor, Rice, Gillian, Phillips, Val, Williamson, Claire

Shadow into Light (SIL) is a creative and therapeutic art and writing project offering support to bereaved people, facilitated by a poet and artist with a counsellor also present. They use word and image to investigate and express feelings and assist development of new coping mechanisms, while developing supportive peer relationships. This article outlines the aims of the project and details the content of each session. Evaluation of the first two courses held found that the project was meeting its aims.

Fulltext available in Bereavement Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank Hospice, Brookfields Hospital

Learning from linguistics: structuring our sentences sensitively

Bereavement Care, Jan 2016, vol. 35, no. 1, p. 31-35

Carr, Sarah

This article examines basic techniques to improve sentence clarity to help bereavement support workers to use understandable words and phrases when communicating with clients, both verbally and in writing.  It also describes how to check the readability of  text using a feature built into Microsoft Word. References.

Fulltext available in Bereavement Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital