Effective Grief and Bereavement Support ─ The Role of Family, Friends, Colleagues, Schools and Support Professionals

Social networks, whether of the heart or of the blood, seem to be the best at comforting those experiencing sudden bereavement. However, those in those networks, including counseling professionals, are frequently at a loss in knowing exactly what to do for the affected individual or family. The Dyregrovs, a physiotherapist/sociologist and clinical psychologist, respectively, provide concrete, evidence-based advice about how sudden death affects friends and family, what types of support the bereaved encounter and what they actually want, the special needs of children and young people, the effect of sudden death on social networks, challenges and solutions for social network support, main principles behind good support, and the types of support various groups (including family, friends, schools, and workplaces) can give. An appendix provides descriptions of projects including one for those affected by young suicides and another for children affected by cancer. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Dr Kari Dyregrov is a physiotherapist and sociologist. She is a researcher at the Center for Crisis Psychology in Bergen, Norway and The National Institute of Public Health in Oslo. She lectures nationally and internationally, and has written several papers and book chapters. She is a founding member of the Norwegian Association for Suicide Survivors. Dr Atle Dyregrov is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Center for Crisis Psychology in Bergen, Norway, which he founded with a colleague in 1988. He is a member of the executive board of The Children and War Foundation and a founding member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Dr Dyregrov is the author of numerous publications, journal articles, and books.