| |
Time: 4 hours
Level: Intermediate
| |
| |
 Introduction Resource- This unit helps you to explore the extent to which death and dying in western societies are medical events and what aspects of death and dying might be neglected as a consequence. The unit covers the way...
| |
| | 1 Is grief a medical problem?
- 1 Is grief a medical problem? Resource
- Grief is a fertile area for debate and controversy within health care professions, and its significance as something in need of medical attention has been debated by both health analysts and social commentators...
| |
| | 2 Efforts to measure the effects of grief
- 2.1 Introduction Resource
- A rapidly growing branch of medical science has begun to try to measure the physiological impact of grief. Incorporated into this study are the ways in which bodily functions change in response to emotional...
- 2.2 Neuronal changes during grief Resource
- Recently medical researchers have been joined by neuroscientists determined to pin down precisely those parts of the brain that are activated by the experience of grief. Although this approach might be...
| |
| |
- 3 When grief goes wrong Resource
- Most people experiencing a grief reaction do not need specific professional help, although everyone could probably do with as much support as they can get from friends and family. Indeed, labelling someone...
| |
| | 4 To medicate or not to medicate?
- 4.1 Introduction Resource
- Although there has been a considerable reaction to the routine use of anti-anxiety medication for people presenting symptoms of complicated grief, the practice remains common in western societies. Joan...
- 4.2 Using antidepressants for grief Resource
- In addition to tranquilisers, antidepressant medication may be considered when a person approaches a doctor for help following bereavement. Prescribing doctors may feel under pressure to ‘do something’...
- 4.3 How effective are antidepressants in general? Resource
- Despite the rapidly expanding use of antidepressants, to date there is very little evidence that they are effective for the treatment of bereavement or in mild to moderate types of depression. Recent meta-analyses...
- 4.4 Are there alternatives to medication? Resource
- Another response to bereavement has been to suggest that the bereaved person should go through some form of bereavement counselling. Cruse Bereavement Care is the largest bereavement counselling organisation...
| |
| |
- 5 Next steps Resource
- After completing this unit you may wish to study another OpenLearn unit, here are a few suggestions:
| |
| | References and Acknowledgements | |
Except for third party materials and otherwise stated, content on this site is made available
OPML Feed
