Literature Review

[Philippines] Virtual mourning: How Filipinos utilize Facebook to express grief and seek support – A hermeneutic phenomenological studyMarc Kenneth F. Cabañero, Ma. Teresa Tricia Guison-Bautista; 4/25This study explores how grieving Filipinos use Facebook to cope with loss and seek support, integrating traditional mourning practices with digital expressions of grief. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten bereaved Filipinos to examine their online grieving experiences. Thematic analysis identified three key themes: the blending of traditional mourning rituals with Facebook for emotional support, the validation and relief provided by online interactions, and the role of digital mourning in fostering healing. Findings suggest that social media enhances Filipino bereavement practices by strengthening community connections and preserving cultural traditions. The study emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive digital spaces and grief support services that integrate both online and offline mourning.

Living with grief caused by your child’s death Bonner County Daily Bee, Sandpoint, ID; by Kathy Hubbard; 5/14/25 “The challenge for many people is to speak about their feelings after the death of a child,” Tami Feyen, RN, manager of Bonner Community Hospice said. “If you haven’t gone through it, you can’t imagine what it’s like.” We were talking about the “tree” with the heart-shaped “leaves” that “grows” in the Children’s Healing Garden. This memorial, designed by artist Betty Gardner was installed in 2019 with the idea that people who had lost a child would have a comforting place to come to remember their loved one(s).

‘Losing a part of yourself’: How women grieve their close friend’s deathOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Elizabeth W. Sauber, Karen M. O’Brien; 4/25Friendship provides women with a plethora of benefits, including reduced physiological and psychological distress. Thus, this study qualitatively described the bereavement of seven women who experienced the death of a close woman friend and tested an integrative model predicting prolonged grief and posttraumatic growth with 148 women grieving the death of a close woman friend. Findings from directed content analysis highlighted grief reactions, disenfranchising interactions related to social support, ways of coping, growth after loss, and ongoing challenges. Results from a path analysis indicated that avoidant emotional coping was a key mediator and predictor of prolonged grief, while problem-focused coping served as a key mediator and predictor of posttraumatic growth. The findings can be used to advance research, clinical practice and intervention efforts for women who are grieving the death of a woman friend.

Video: Holes and Wholeness - Mother's Day 2025, Finding peace in the pieces, Wholeness in the holes Composing Life Out of Loss; by Joy Berger; 2018, updated 5/8/25Holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. They’re supposed to bring celebration, fun, food, gifts, rituals, and rich meanings. But, when our loved one is seriously ill, or has died, these same days of joy can become … holes of grief. It's already hard enough, but with the holidays,  we fear that emotions will flood us, that memories will trigger us, like ...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

'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, posted in our newsletter 4/29/24  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. [See photos.]

What grieving moms want for Mother's Day The Compassionate Friends - Supporting Family After a Child Dies; posted on 5/10/17, retrieved from the internet 5/8/25 Acknowledgement is what grieving mother’s want most for Mother’s Day, suggests a survey by wwwthecomfortcompany.net a website that specializes in meaningful sympathy gifts. The online survey asked, “What can others do to ease your pain on Mother’s Day?” Over 80 percent of the 200 respondents answered, “Recognize that I am a mother.” ... In response to the survey result, The Comfort Company has issued a list of ten simple ways to reach out to a grieving mother on this difficult holiday. 

[United Kingdom] New UK Centre hopes to change public attitudes towards grief University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Press Release; 4/24/25 Grief affects everyone but is still very much a taboo subject in the UK. A new Centre - the first of its kind in the UK - hopes to shift public attitudes towards grief and create communities that are compassionate and connected in their support of people who are bereaved. The Centre for Grief Research and Community Engagement (Grief Centre) at the University of Bristol is launched today [24 April]. The Grief Centre will focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research into grief, death and loss, aiming to increase understanding of these fundamental aspects of being human and provide the space for new thinking, ideas and approaches.

Turning grief into art: Ringling College student brings legacy to life for hospice patients SRQ Media, Sarasota, FL; 4/23/25 At just 19 years old, Ringling College of Art and Design student Leo Motherway is using his talent to help others preserve the stories that matter most. Through the Lazarus Engaged Learning Assistantship, this second-year Illustration major discovered legacy books—deeply personal keepsakes that capture the lives of hospice patients through words and art. Inspired by the loss of his grandmother and father, he's now a passionate volunteer with Empath Tidewell Hospice, illustrating legacy books and organizing creative campus events to engage fellow students. His latest endeavor, Colorful Conversations, is a 20-page illustrated book designed to spark memory and connection for dementia patients through conversation prompts. For Leo, this work is more than volunteering—it’s a way to honor the past, uplift the present, and ensure no story goes untold.

Lakeside stroll: Therapeutic steps as walkers honor cherished loved ones St. Lucie Voice, Port St. Lucie, FL - Community; Press Release; 2/27/25On a sunny January morning, hundreds of community members and supporters of Treasure Coast Hospice gathered for a stroll around the beautiful lake at Tradition. Together, they walked the 1.2-mile trail, one step at a time, supporting healing and remembrance. Reflecting on the loss of a loved one, ... they took another step forward in their journey of hope and healing. ... Toni Szparaga of True Crew Dance Company and her dancers loosened up the crowd with a pre-walk warm-up. Szparaga, who has been participating in the Lakeside Stroll for eight years, dedicated the dancers' performance following the walk to Treasure Coast Hospice. Szparaga, who lost both of her parents within a year, said, "With the guidance of what to expect and counseling that Treasure Coast Hospice offered, I was able to work through the anger, hurt, and sadness and realize they were not gone, they were just going back home."

[Australia] Effectiveness of grief camps in supporting bereaved individuals: A systematic reviewOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Jingyi Chi, Karolina Krysinska, Karl Andriessen; 3/25Experiencing the death of a loved one is a stressful and disruptive event that can have short-term and long-term detrimental effects on the grief, mental health, and social functioning of the bereaved individuals. Grief camps represent a relatively novel form of support. Narrative synthesis of the study findings indicated a positive impact of grief camps on the grief and psychosocial functioning of bereaved individuals, and participants’ feedback indicated that grief camps are an acceptable intervention. Further research in various locations and across different age groups may broaden our understanding of the effects of grief camps.

This weekend: Passover and Easter with hospice patients and familiesHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger, DMA, FT, BCC, MT-BC, editor in chief; 4/17/25 This weekend brings a confluence of the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter holy days. Whatever your faith system, understanding at least a bit about the diverse faith systems of those you serve matters. We provide these hospice-specific resources as references:

Ambiguous loss: Implications for perinatal and neonatal nursesNeonatal Network; Rachel A Joseph, Mary Highton; 3/25Ambiguous loss, a term coined by Pauline Boss, is a state in which there is no actual "death" and, therefore, no "grieving" or closure associated with it. Pregnancy is a happy event most of the time; however, the loss of pregnancy can be distressing to the parents. While the birth of a child is expected to be a joyful event, premature birth and subsequent admission to the NICU for prolonged periods with fluctuating conditions force the parent to be in a constant crisis mode where the outcome is unknown. This can mentally, physically, and emotionally drain the parents and may cause depression or other mental health challenges. Perinatal and neonatal nurses are uniquely positioned to recognize the warning signs of emerging grief crises in the parents and support them appropriately.

A mother’s goodbye-Barriers to microtransitions in careJAMA Internal Medicine; Aval-Na’Ree S. Green, MD, MHA, CMD; Benjamin E. Canter, OTD; 3/25After a long, debilitating battle with lupus, my cousin died at the doorsteps of our health system. The funeral was at 11:00 am. I arrived at the facility at 8:45 am. Although the catheter was in place, my aunt was undressed, with remnants of breakfast on her gown. She had not been bathed. The staff and I wheeled my aunt outside and attempted to load her into the van. Once my aunt was in the chair, it could not fit through the van door. Because this transition was not a medical health care appointment, the facility did not coordinate the resources, including use of the van, that were necessary for it to occur successfully. In contrast, had this been a medical outing, such as a weekend dialysis appointment, the facility would have been required to provide transportation. If this microtransition had been treated like a major health care transition, perhaps it would have had a better chance of success. Nursing teams use checklists during major care transitions; similar procedures should apply to microtransitions.