Bereavement, while universal, is experienced and expressed uniquely; it is both ultimate and particular. As the predominant social expression of grief, funerals are purported to be waning and/or transitioning to emergent, less conventional ceremonial forms. In this research, the possible salutary utility of funerals is outlined, and trends relative to the cost, nature (type), and prevalence of funeral services are examined relative to an extant data set from two funeral homes of shared ownership in northeast Tennessee. This data analysis of specific funeral trends in south central Appalachia is juxtaposed against the broader backdrop of current theoretical, clinical, and socio-cultural understandings of bereavement, grief, and mourning.

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This dissertation consists of two articles. The first reviews research on repartnering by bereaved partners with recommendations for practitioners. Potential repartnering challenges, such as comparing relationships between the new and deceased partner, feelings of guilt about entering a new relationship, and lower intimacy and engagement in the new relationship are discussed, in addition to other factors that affect repartnering, such as age, gender, the types of death, and the presence of children. The second article examines repartnering among older bereaved partners. Data from two waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) were analyzed for bereaved partners who had experienced the death of a partner at wave 1 and who were (N = 46) or were not (N = 372) repartnered at wave 2. Specifically, analyses examined whether a) loneliness, depression, happiness, and non-partner social support (NPSS) at wave 1 (T1) affect repartnering at wave 2 (T2), b) whether repartnering is uniquely associated with time 2 loneliness, depression, and happiness, and for those bereaved partners who repartnered, c) depression, loneliness, and happiness will relate to the quality of the new relationship. Results found that a) only younger age and identifying as male were negative associated with having repartnered, b) NPSS at T2 was uniquely associated with depression, loneliness, and happiness, but repartnered status was not, c) T2 NPSS was associated with quality of the new relationship, but loneliness, depression, and happiness were not, and d) being a repartnered female was associated with lower depression when T2NPSS was high. Overall, non-partner social support appears to be a more important factor in psychological well-being than repartnering among older bereaved partners, despite some repartnering challenges.

Many theories have been proposed that attempt to explain response and adaptation to loss. However, no one theory has been shown to be universally applicable to all individuals suffering a loss. This paper presents an overview of many of these theories, paying special attention to the relationship between the theories of loss and adaptation to disability. The theories include the psychoanalytic model of loss, stage models of adaptation to loss, the value change theory of acceptance of loss, chronic sorrow, the cognitive adaptation theory, the stress and coping model, developmental theory, and the existential perspective on loss and grief. The possible influence that factors such as age, gender, culture and variables specific to disability may have on loss are also discussed. A new conceptualization of loss is introduced that tries to integrate many of the key ideas of these theories. This integrated approach takes into account the unique situation of each person, emphasizing the interaction between environmental and personal factors in adapting to loss. The model contends that due to the uniqueness of the individual, to the many possible combinations of environmental and psychological factors, and to the nature of the loss itself, any one or combination of loss theories could be in effect for any single loss. The intent of this thesis is to encourage the reader to become familiar with different perspectives on the subject of loss and grief to help select the method that best fits the individual situation of the person seeking counseling.

The V Formation is a novelette which explores second-person narration, complex familial relationships, and grief. It questions what standards society sets for families, parents in particular, and what happens when your kin does not conform to these standards. As you grow older, how are you limited or how do you have authority in creating your family?

The Body Salvages is a collection of contemporary post-confessional poetry. The collection explores familial trauma, grief, sex and gender identity, puberty, dysphoria, and transition. The Body Salvages blends magical realism with memoir until easy certainties are no longer an option; the poems overgrow divisions between experience and identity, fiction and reality, past and present, world and body. Gilcrest draws inspiration from a diverse array of writers, poets, and musicians, including Sharon Olds, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Allen Ginsberg, Walt Whitman, Gabriel García Márquez, Ezra Furman, and Sandro Ortega-Riek.

Following the loss of a loved one, grief is a near-universal experience. While most grieving individuals are able to cope effectively and return to baseline functioning over time, some develop persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD). This dissertation aims to elucidate the ways in which cognitive and emotional processing go awry in the context of PCBD. More specifically, it examines the relationship between the types of language that bereaved individuals use and their trajectories of adjustment in the first year following a loss. In particular, this dissertation examines context sensitivity in word use. Context sensitivity describes the degree to which an individual is attuned to the particular demands of a given task or situation. In the present study, linguistic context-sensitivity was measured by analyzing the use of words pertaining to certain categories within specific contexts (e.g., participants were asked to discuss a recent positive event, and the use of positive emotion words within their responses was analyzed). Results indicated that, among those individuals who display high levels of grief immediately following the loss of their spouse, the use of context-sensitive language predicted a favorable course of adjustment in the first year of bereavement with low levels of grief at one- year post-loss. Conversely, the use of context insensitive language predicted high levels of grief at one-year post-loss. These findings indicate that context sensitivity may instrumental in the development of PCBD and, as such, may help predict an individual’s course of adjustment immediately following a significant loss. A better understanding of these early signs of PCBD may greatly assist in the timely detection of the disorder so that intervention may be most effective. Furthermore, this field of inquiry also has the potential to deeply inform treatment modalities designed to help individuals cope in the wake of bereavement.

A collection of poetry that follows the death of a close friend and explores how grief devours the soul, and the ways in which we find strength to endure.

Bereavement is an experience that most people will encounter multiple times across their lifetime. Some people who experience grief are going to seek support in this process from a therapist. The NASW Code of Ethics suggests that social workers only practice in fields in which they are competent. This study will look at the self-perceived grief competency of master’s level therapists. Demographic data and a survey designed to measure the competency of a master’s level therapist was utilized to collect data to measure the self-perceived grief competency. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way between groups ANOVA, and correlation analysis. The results of this study were mixed. Overall, there was no significant difference between MSWs, MFT and other therapists in their grief experience. However, among other significant findings, years in the field is associated with higher levels of training and experience. Further research will be needed to better assess for preparedness. However, findings suggest the importance of training social workers to adequately meet the needs of grieving individuals in lieu of years of experience.

Scattered Sandpipers is a Young Adult novel excerpt. Seventeen-year-old Bee, lost her mother two years ago in a car crash. As she denies and represses her grief, strange and magical things begin to happen.