Studiens syfte är att utifrån professionellas erfarenheter undersöka hur vuxnas sorgeprocesser yttrar sig samt hur de professionella bemöter sörjande personer. Undersökningen baseras på professionellas erfarenheter och kunskaper om sorgeprocesser. Sju semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med professionella som alla i sin yrkesroll möter vuxna i sorg. En tematisk analys har använts och fem teman framkom: vuxnas sorgeprocesser, förhållningssätt gentemot sörjande, lyssnande och validerande stöd, stöd i sorgen och verktyg i professionen. För att analysera resultatet användes Kübler-Ross teori om sorgens fem faser och begreppet komplicerad sorg. Kübler-Ross teori fokuserar på sorgeprocessens faser. Den komplicerade sorgen fokuserar på när sorg kvarstår med patologiska symptom. I resultatet framgick att de professionella upplevde sorgeprocessen som dynamisk och kontextbunden. Professionellas främsta förhållningssätt i bemötande har bland annat presenterats vara värderingsfritt och anpassat. Professionella har uttryckt att vuxna människor i sorg behöver ett icke tidsbegränsat, närvarande och anpassat stöd. Dessutom har professionellas utbildning och erfarenhet visat sig utgöra verktyg i professionen och vara nyckeln till ett adekvat och gynnsamt sorgestöd. / The purpose of the study is to examine professional’s experiences of adult’s grieving processes and how they treat bereaved people. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals who all in their professional role meet adults in grief. A thematic analysis was used and five themes emerged: adults' grieving processes, attitudes towards grieving, listening and validating support, support in grief and tools in the profession. To analyze the results, Kübler-Ross' theory of the five phases of grief and the concept of complicated grief were used. Kübler-Ross theory focuses on the phases of the grieving process. The complicated grief focuses on when grief persists with pathological symptoms. The results showed that the grieving process of adults was experienced by professionals as dynamic and context-bound. Professionals' main approach towards grieving people has been presented as neutral and context dependant. Professionals have expressed that grieving adults need support that is not time limited and characterized by presence and adapted support. Furthermore, professional´s education and experiences have been shown to be elements in the profession that is key to adequate and beneficial bereavement support.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard en negatiewe gevolge van die verlies- en treurproses te ondersoek, en riglyne daar te stel vir die terapeutiese hantering van die verlies- en treurproses. Aan die hand van ‘n literatuurstudie is die aard, gevolge en terapie-benaderings met betrekking tot die verlies- en treurproses bestudeer. Die Opvoedkundig-sielkundige Relasieteorie is verken, en is as raamwerk in ’n empiriese studie gebruik. Die hantering van die verlies- en treurproses is kwalitatief ondersoek. Deur terapeutiese intervensie in drie deelnemers se verlies- en treurproses, is insig verkry met die oog op die samestelling van ’n terapieprogram, sowel as vir riglyne vir die terapeut en die kliënt. Ek het wegbeweeg van navorsing wat primêr beskrywend van aard is en op diagnostiese oorwegings fokus, na raamwerke waar intervensie-strategieë en spesifieke tegnieke gebruik kan word wanneer die terapeut en die kliënt betrokke is in deurlopende psigoterapie. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat dit belangrik is om nie slegs op die verlies te fokus nie, maar ook op onopgeloste kwessies wat vantevore in die kliënt se lewe plaasgevind het. Insig en kennis van hulleself, hul verhoudings, verdedigingsmeganismes, emosies, denke en gedrag, en die invloed wat dit op hulle verlies- en treurproses het, was nodig sodat die kliënte hul ongewenste aangeleerde gedrag kon wysig, om sodoende hulleself beter te verstaan in die hantering van hulle verlies en die treurproses. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and negative consequenses of, and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of the loss and grief process. A literature study was undertaken to determine the nature, consequences, and therapeutic techniques, with regard to the loss and grief process, based on Psychological Relations theory. By means of therapeutic intervention in the three participants’ loss and grief processes, I gained insight to compose a therapeutic programme, as well as therapeutic guidelines and intervention strategies and specific techniques that can be used when the therapist and the client are involved in continuous psychotherapy. The results of the study indicated that it is important to focus on unresolved issues that happened earlier in the client’s life. Insight in the person as a whole, is required to be able to understand themselves better in the handling of their loss and the grieving process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard en negatiewe gevolge van die verlies- en treurproses te ondersoek, en riglyne daar te stel vir die terapeutiese hantering van die verlies- en treurproses. Aan die hand van ‘n literatuurstudie is die aard, gevolge en terapie-benaderings met betrekking tot die verlies- en treurproses bestudeer. Die Opvoedkundig-sielkundige Relasieteorie is verken, en is as raamwerk in ’n empiriese studie gebruik. Die hantering van die verlies- en treurproses is kwalitatief ondersoek. Deur terapeutiese intervensie in drie deelnemers se verlies- en treurproses, is insig verkry met die oog op die samestelling van ’n terapieprogram, sowel as vir riglyne vir die terapeut en die kliënt. Ek het wegbeweeg van navorsing wat primêr beskrywend van aard is en op diagnostiese oorwegings fokus, na raamwerke waar intervensie-strategieë en spesifieke tegnieke gebruik kan word wanneer die terapeut en die kliënt betrokke is in deurlopende psigoterapie. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat dit belangrik is om nie slegs op die verlies te fokus nie, maar ook op onopgeloste kwessies wat vantevore in die kliënt se lewe plaasgevind het. Insig en kennis van hulleself, hul verhoudings, verdedigingsmeganismes, emosies, denke en gedrag, en die invloed wat dit op hulle verlies- en treurproses het, was nodig sodat die kliënte hul ongewenste aangeleerde gedrag kon wysig, om sodoende hulleself beter te verstaan in die hantering van hulle verlies en die treurproses. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and negative consequenses of, and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of the loss and grief process. A literature study was undertaken to determine the nature, consequences, and therapeutic techniques, with regard to the loss and grief process, based on Psychological Relations theory. By means of therapeutic intervention in the three participants’ loss and grief processes, I gained insight to compose a therapeutic programme, as well as therapeutic guidelines and intervention strategies and specific techniques that can be used when the therapist and the client are involved in continuous psychotherapy. The results of the study indicated that it is important to focus on unresolved issues that happened earlier in the client’s life. Insight in the person as a whole, is required to be able to understand themselves better in the handling of their loss and the grieving process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

This study examined the experiences of Hospice Bereavement Coordinators (HBCs) and Hospice Chaplains working with grief narratives from patient-family units exhibiting signs of anticipatory or complicated grief. While a significant amount of research has been conducted on Hospice employees, no qualitative studies have examined the interpretation of meaning from employees whose primary role focused on the psychosocial-spiritual aspects of clients exhibiting anticipatory or complicated grief. The researcher identified shared meaning of death, trauma, and loss from six participants in the context of a high stress and high loss environment. This study‘s findings revealed ten central themes: Death is an earthly transition to immortality; Death is an intense progression; Trauma is an interpretive response to a bad experience; Trauma highlights quality of life; Loss is an adaptation to change; Loss highlights self-awareness about mortality; Cases impact views of death, trauma, and loss; Influences of spirituality; Stressful aspects of working in hospice settings; and Methods of coping. Through this study, the researcher captured five elements of the shared phenomena: the conflicting nature of anticipatory or complicated grief with the participant‘s interpretation of death; the acknowledgement of loss as the next stage for survivors of the deceased; the instability patient-family units exhibiting anticipatory or complicated grief faced; the role of faith; and the proactive efforts of participants to create a balance between work and their personal life. These meanings contributed to the continued need for future qualitative studies whereby the lived experiences of Hospice employees could be expressed to assist with the development of structured training programs specific to the requirements outlined by the nature of their work.

Frågan om ”normal” respektive ”patologisk” sorg har under en lång tid varit ett omdiskuterat ämne inom psykologin och psykiatrin. En grupp forskare har tagit fram kriterier på ett syndrom som fått benämningen ihållande sorg (”prolonged grief”). Studier har visat på att ihållande sorg är ett distinkt syndrom separat från depression, posttraumatisk stressyndrom och generaliserat ångestsyndrom. Ihållande sorg föreslås ingå som en diagnos i de kommande versionerna av de diagnostiska manualerna DSM och ICD. Syftet med denna studie var att översätta självskattningsinstrumentet Prolonged Grief Disorder (PG-13) till svenska, och undersöka dess reliabilitet och validitet genom bland annat en explorativ och konfirmatorisk faktoranalys. Studien genomfördes på ett annonsrekryterat heterogent sample (n=162 varav 90 % var kvinnor) vad gäller typ av dödsfall och relation till den avlidne. Respondenterna besvarade en webb- eller pappersenkät som bestod av 75 items. PG-13 bedöms ha en hög reliabilitet, god begrepps- och samtidig validitet samt en måttlig diskriminativ validitet.