The Dual Process Model of Coping With Bereavement and Development of an Integrative Risk Factor Framework.

Abstract

(create) The chapter begins with a summary of shortcomings in scientific analyses of coping with loss. Inspection of the scientific literature has revealed three types of concerns: First, theoretical constructs need refinement; second, empirical support for postulated (mal)adaptive processes is lacking; and third, (mal)adaptive coping strategies seem not to apply universally. The chapter then describes the parameters of the dual process model of coping with bereavement and discusses how the model deals with the aforementioned concerns. The dual process model reflects the dynamic nature of coping with bereavement and proposes that a bereaved person will need to oscillate over time between coping efforts oriented toward emotional health and stability (loss-oriented coping) and efforts focused on more practical issues of living, independence, and mastering new skills and roles (restoration-oriented coping). In addition, to provide a conceptual structure for these complex issues, and to establish a basis for considering age-related perspectives, this chapter introduces an integrative framework for the prediction of bereavement outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)