Loss, grief and bereavement in palliative care: Research directions

Abstract

This article outlines the theoretical context for understanding loss, grief and bereavement and summarises some of the recent questions related to the merits of bereavement intervention. Challenging issues related to these concepts in the context of palliative care are examined. These include how to assess the needs of family members for bereavement support, how much bereavement support to provide, how to address the needs of patients and families from non-dominant cultural groups, and how to manage concerns about loss, grief and bereavement in the context of dementia. Recommendations for future researrch are offered.