There is no single intervention that is appropriate to all bereaved people. The following two types of interventions have proved beneficial in subjects at high risk for problematic bereavement:
Gender DifferencesMen benefit more from emotion-focus and women from cognitive focused interventions (Schut 1997). Schut’s findings came as a surprise to many people, who assume that men should be encouraged to do what they are best at, keeping a stiff upper lip, and women to “Have a good cry.” But in fact the reverse is the case, men who seek help after bereavement are more likely to benefit from permission to share feelings, while women, most of whom are more in touch with their emotions than men, may need permission to dry their tears and look ahead. Bereavement SupportBereavement support can be provided by trained hospice volunteers or other care providers who have received training in providing counsel Helpers can be trained in provision of both emotional and cognitive focused interventions and to switch between them as the need arises.
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