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Bereavement
Also called: Grief
Bereavement is the period of grief and mourning after a death. When you grieve, it's part of the normal process of reacting to a loss. You may experience grief as a mental, physical, social or emotional reaction. Mental reactions can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness and despair. Physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems or illness.
How long bereavement lasts can depend on how close you were to the person who died, if the person's death was expected and other factors. Friends, family and faith may be sources of support. Grief counseling or grief therapy is also helpful to some people.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Start Here
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Grief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- How to Deal with Grief(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
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Grief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss (PDQ)
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Overviews
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Coping with Grief: When a Loved One Dies(National Institutes of Health)
- Understanding Grief and Loss(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Coping with Grief: When a Loved One Dies
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- You Know You Are Getting Better When...(American Hospice Foundation)
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Specific Conditions
- Complicated Grief(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Related Issues
- Adults Grieving the Death of a Sibling(Compassionate Friends)
- Also available in Spanish
- Bereaved Employee: Returning to Work(American Hospice Foundation)
- Coping with the Death of a Coworker(American Psychological Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- Death of a Child, the Grief of the Parents: A Lifetime Journey(National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss Resource Center) - PDF
- Death of a Special Needs Child(Compassionate Friends)
- Death of an Adult Child(Compassionate Friends)
- Grief of Stepparents When a Child Dies(Compassionate Friends)
- Grief: Coping with the Reminders After a Loss(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Grieving Process: Is Crying Required?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Helping a Grieving Parent(American Hospice Foundation)
- Helping Your Bereaved Friend(American Hospice Foundation)
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Mourning the Death of a Spouse(National Institute on Aging)
- Surviving Your Child's Suicide(Compassionate Friends)
- Understanding Grief within a Cultural Context(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
- When a Co-Worker Is Grieving(Compassionate Friends)
- Also available in Spanish
- When an Employee Is Grieving the Death of a Child(Compassionate Friends)
- Also available in Spanish
- Writing a Condolence Note(American Hospice Foundation)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bereavement(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Grief(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bereavement
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Children
- Caring for Surviving Children(Compassionate Friends)
- Also available in Spanish
- Children and Grief(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Helping Your Child Deal with Death(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Military Kids: Responding to Their Grief(American Hospice Foundation)
- Somebody in My Friend's Family Died. What Should I Do?(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Stillbirth, Miscarriage, and Infant Death(Compassionate Friends)
- Also available in Spanish
- Traumatic Grief(National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- When a Pet Dies(Nemours Foundation)
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Teenagers
- Death and Grief(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Grieving Teen(American Hospice Foundation)
- Teenager's Understanding of Death(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- When a Brother or Sister Dies(Compassionate Friends)
- Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
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Getting Help for Your Grief(National Institute on Aging)
- Grief of Grandparents(Compassionate Friends)
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Getting Help for Your Grief
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Patient Handouts
- Grief
- Also available in Spanish
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