Literature Review

The iatrogenic consequences of medicalising grief: Resetting the research agenda Sociology of Health & Illness: by Sarah Gurley-Green, Lisa Cosgrove, Milutin Kostic, Lauren Koa, and Susan McPherson; published 11/28/25, distributed via Evermore 1/28/25When the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was published in 2013, there was a firestorm of controversy about the elimination of the bereavement exclusion. Proponents of this change and of the proposed “complicated grief” designation believed that this change would help clinicians recognise major depression in the context of recent bereavement. Other researchers and clinicians have raised concerns about medicalising grief. In 2022 “prolonged grief disorder” (PGD) was officially included in the DSM-5-TR in the trauma- and stressor-related disorders section. ... As human rights activists have argued, bereavement support is an inalienable human right, one that is centered on the right to health and well-being, for “bereavement health is as intrinsic to our humanity as any other aspect of health and citizenship” (Macaskill 2022). That is why there are increasing calls for investing in bereavement as a public good and for “cultivat[ing] a bereavement-conscious workforce.” (Lichtenthal et al. 2024, e273). As Lichtenthal notes, it is not only clinicians but also institutions and systems that must “shift bereavement care from an afterthought to a public health priority.”Editor's note: "Iatrogenic" refers to unintentional consequences/condition from a medical intervention. In the hospice context, this means bereavement/grief from the hospice death. How many patients do you serve? The CMS Hospice Conditions of Participation identify "bereavement" and/or "grief" 155 times. What priority do you give to bereavement care before, at and after your patients' deaths?

Children’s book written by Manheim Township mother finally published 3 years after she died of cancer [video] LNP Lancaster Online, Lancaster, PA; by John Walk; 1/27/25 As she battled a rare sarcoma cancer over the last two years of her life, Manheim Township resident Ginny McCreary struggled to find a children’s book she could read to her two young daughters to help them better understand what she was going through. So McCreary wrote the book herself, sometimes on a smartphone while laying in bed late at night, ... McCreary died Aug. 15, 2021. She was 34. She left behind a self-published manuscript of the children’s book that sat idle for about two years but was not forgotten. ... The book has also made its way inside four Hospice & Community Care locations in Lancaster as well as Penn Medicine’s Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute in East Hempfield Township. [Video with Ginny's mother] "I'd love to get it to some cancer centers and hospice centers ..." [Click on the title's link for more information.]

Abigail E. Keller Foundation's Teddy bear drive brings Valentine's cheer to young patients CBS Austin, TX; by We Are Austin; 1/23/25 Valentine's Day is getting a little sweeter for children spending the holiday in the hospital, thanks to the Abigail E. Keller Foundation's annual teddy bear drive. Now in its sixth year, the initiative aims to spread love and comfort through cuddly companions. Melissa Keller, co-founder and president of the foundation, said the drive [describes,] "Abby passed away in February of 2019, ... Abby was full of life and joy, and she brought so much life and joy to everyone that she met. We decided on that first anniversary, we were going to collect teddy bears and take them to the hospital. And we did." ... Keller says "We support medically fragile children and their families throughout their journey and at end of life, we, support our foundation, supports them in, a couple of ways. We we help them through financial assistance. We do care baskets for families going into hospice. We do birthday boxes for children in hospice."

If you’ve overcome these 9 challenges in life, you’re more resilient than you think Personal Branding Blog; by Lucas Graham; 1/21/25 Resilience isn’t always about being unshakable or invincible. Sometimes, it’s just about surviving the chaos, picking yourself up after the mess, and somehow finding the courage to keep going. In the moment, it’s hard to see how strong you really are—you’re just trying to make it through. But when you pause and look back, you realize the grit it took to get here. ... [If] you’ve been through these nine challenges and made it out, you’re way more resilient than you give yourself credit for.

[Canada] Qualitative bereavement experiences and support in community-dwelling older adults: A scoping reviewOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Samantha Teichman, Barbara A. Mitchell, Indira Riadi, Habib Chaudhury, Albert Banerjee, William Odom; 12/24This scoping review examines qualitative studies on bereavement experiences and support mechanisms for community-dwelling older adults. This area of research is especially timely given rapid population aging and the interplay of heightened vulnerability, cumulative losses, shrinking support systems, and the critical need for bereavement support. Such support not only acts as a preventative health measure but can also serve as a catalyst for fostering meaning-making and navigating grief in later life. Through a scoping search and synthesis of relevant qualitative studies ..., the findings reveal four key themes: the impact of grief on wellbeing, grief perceived as an individual issue, challenges in seeking and receiving support, and positive support experiences and transformations. This discussion contributes to developing targeted bereavement support strategies for community-dwelling older adults.

Peter Yarrow, iconic Peter, Paul and Mary singer and former Connecticut Hospice board member, dies CT Insider; by Andrew DaRosa; 1/7/25 Peter Yarrow, one-third of the iconic folk troubadours Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at the age of 86 ... “Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest,” Yarrow's daughter, Bethany Yarrow, said in a statement to the Associated Press. ... Yarrow frequently performed in Connecticut and was scheduled to play with Stookey in July at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. Yarrow also performed at Connecticut Hospice in Branford, where his mother had stayed, according to a 2017 interview with Compassion and Choices. He served on the board for Connecticut Hospice for a number of years. 

Re-imagining childhood grief: Children as active agents in a transactional processOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Ceilidh Eaton Russell, Meg Chin, Georg Bollig, Cheryl-Anne Cait, Franco A. Carnevale, Jody Chrastek, Bianca Lavorgna, Catriona Macpherson, Stacy S. Remke, Lies Scaut, Jane Skeen, Regina Szylit, Camara van Breemen, Ronit Shalev; 12/24While undoubtedly, the death of a parent or sibling causes considerable distress for children, the transactional model argues that an individual’s ability to adapt to challenges and problems arises from the transactions - interactions - that occur between them and their environment (Sameroff, 2009). After a loss, it is critical to be aware of the fact that children do grieve, that they impact and are impacted by those around them, reflecting influences on their social environments at any and every age. Their impressions, the feedback they receive, the messages they interpret about what is and is not deemed acceptable by those around them, can have immediate and life-long influences on their thoughts, behaviours, emotional and physical wellbeing. We propose that rather than placing the burden solely on children to seek support, adults have responsibilities to engage in a collaborative process whereby children have opportunities to express their interests and needs.

Preliminary research suggests that grief after the death of a public figure looks very similar to grief over our personal relationships and can have comparable levels of intensity News Wise; by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; 12/29/24 Many people are surprised by the intensity of their response when a well-known person dies, and their feelings of sadness may last longer than they expect. In fact, that sadness and grief can be intense, and preliminary research suggests that grief after the death of a public figure looks very similar to grief over our personal relationships and can have comparable levels of intensity. Wendy Lichtenthal, Ph.D., a bereavement science researcher and founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, is available to discuss “parasocial grief” – that which occurs when a celebrity, political figure or other highly recognized person dies.

'The Grief Lady:' NC woman uses mother's funeral flowers to create art, help others heal WRAL TV News, Raleigh, NC; by Heather Leah; 4/18/24 Grief is a journey--and you never know for sure where it'll take you. When Janet Willis' mom passed away from small cell lung cancer in her 70s, Willis said she felt like she lost more than a mother; she lost a piece of herself. The loss launched her on a 100 day journey, creating art with the dried flower petals saved from her mother's funeral and sharing her grief experience with her followers. Each day she created a new piece of art – and each day it's as much a surprise for her as it is for her viewers. 

10 Years of making the world a more livable place for all bereaved people Evermore; by Joyal Mulheron, Executive Director; 12/21/24   Fourteen years ago today, I was sitting on my couch, trying to make sense out of what just happened to our family. Our terminally ill daughter, Eleanora, had died a few weeks prior. While others sang holiday songs and gleefully exchanged gifts, it was a profoundly painful, dark, and isolating time for me. Within a few short years, I quit my career because I saw tragedies saturating our national headlines, leaving a trail of unseen and unsupported bereaved people in their wake, and I believed our nation should prioritize the needs of all bereaved people. ... This is what I set out to change. ... Evermore’s groundbreaking advocacy efforts resulted in our nation’s first Report to Congress, which provided an overview of grief and bereavement services in the United States. Next year, a report analyzing more than 8,000 scientific studies will be published, reviewing the highest quality interventions for bereaved people — which was championed by Evermore and endorsed by Congress. Editor's note: Click on the title's link to continue reading Evermore's trailblazing, state-of-the-art leadership and advocacy with Congress, the government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Newsweek, PBS, Harvard's Public Health magazine, Penn State, the University of California, and more. Click here to join Evermore's mailing list, and to learn from Joyal Mulhuron, Evermore's inspiring, soulful Founder/Executive Director. 

December challenge: Gift ideas part two ActiveRain; by Kat Palmiotti; 12/17/24 ... My mother dealt with cancer the last four years of her life with an upbeat attitude, ...  So what did she do with the time she had left? The same as always. It was late November 2011 at this point. So what she decided to do was to make a point of purchasing us all our last Christmas present. ... So for me, she purchased me a coffee cup with a lid which is pictured in the feature photo. ... But my mom didn't stop there. She also wrote each of her family members a handwritten letter. Her letter to me talked about me being her first born, and about what I was like during my childhood, and how she felt about my life as an adult. It was a beautiful letter that makes me smile and cry every time I read it. I treasure it. ... So why am I sharing this? Because when I think back on all the gifts I've ever received, it's not jewelry or clothing or anything else that pops into my mind first. It's a $5 cup and a piece of paper with writing on it. And both of those were my mom giving me love. So, when giving gifts to those you care about, give them love. Perhaps grab a piece of paper and a pen and let them know how much you care about them. Or buy them a small carefully selected item that they might use on a daily basis, smiling because it's from you. Because really, it truly is the thought that counts. Let that thought be love.

Veteran’s body sent across state lines without family’s knowledge USANews.net; by Michael Carter; 12/17/24 In a shocking turn of events, Karen Wandel received a distressing message last year that her father, Libero Marinelli Jr., had passed away over five months earlier in a South Carolina hospital. What came as an even greater shock was the revelation that his body had been sent to be used for medical research without the knowledge of his family. This troubling incident sheds light on the complex and often unregulated practices surrounding the use of unclaimed bodies in the healthcare industry. ... The treatment of Marinelli, a former Army service member entitled to burial in a veterans’ cemetery, underscores the ethical dilemmas surrounding the supply of unclaimed bodies for medical research. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the unethical nature of this practice, it continues to persist due to the healthcare industry’s demand for human specimens and local officials’ struggles with the rising number of unclaimed bodies without next of kin.Editor's note: This demonstrates yet another example of the shocking story that received extensive national network news (and that we posted 9/17/24), "As families searched, a Texas medical school cut up their loved ones." 

'You will NEVER be forgotten': 26-year-old Savannah mom in hospice care has died ABC WJCL-22 News, Savannah, GA; by Graham Cawthon; 12/13/24 A young Savannah mother who entered hospice care earlier this month has died. WJCL began following the story of 26-year-old Sara Long last year. Long was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease at the age of 13. Six years later, her mother donated a kidney to her. But the new organ failed.“We were expecting to have more time, you know," Sara told WJCL earlier this month. "I was just hoping to make it through the holidays, honestly." ... "I would rather have 26 really good years full of adventure and full of meaning and full of love and just the most beautiful people and I'm so glad that I got that instead of 100 mediocre ones," she added.On Friday, Sara's husband Justin confirmed that she had passed away. "December 12, 2024 at 10:20pm Sara Long passed away. I held her in my arms and told her I loved her as she took her last breath. Her kind and loving nature continues through our daughter Riley and me as she has shown me that men can be calm and loving. She has shown me that I can be the greatest dad and has shown everyone around her what true love and kindness is. I'm glad she lived a great 26 years instead of 100 mediocre ones. Thank you, Sara for giving me the absolute best 7 years of my life and the most beautiful daughter. You will NEVER be forgotten. I love you." Editor's note: We posted Sara's powerful video and quote in our newsletter on 12/6/24. Click here for her profound, inspirational video.