Grief And Loss

A failure to acknowledge these symptoms can negatively impact a PWID in regards to developing depression, anxiety, and anger. Within this model, experts alike determined that the mourning process served as an opportunity to find meaning in the loss in which they labeled, “crisis of meaning” (Hooyman & Kramer, 2008). In order to help individuals with an intellectual disability make sense of the loss, a study was conducted in an effort to promote healthy functioning for those robbed of the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings of the loss experienced. According to McRitchie et al. (2014), the opportunity to make sense of the loss was most effective when participants were afforded the opportunity to be heard by others whether it was …show more content…
However, this information is irrelevant without integrating appropriate theories, models, and interventions that can appropriately provide support to this population. Previously, the identification of grief and loss was primarily directed towards anger, anxiety, and depression. While this research is central to this population as well as the general population, it is commonly ignored for people with an intellectual disability. Generally, a PWID is commonly disregarded by others because their observed anger, anxiety or depression may be misinterpreted as a characteristic that is intrinsic to them due to their disability. For example, prolonged grief for a PWID may be misconstrued as disruptive behavior. As a result, many caregivers and health professionals place more emphasis on the basic needs of this population rather than addressing the likely existence of …show more content…
It’s important to note, that the facilitation of communication as it relates to grief, should be done in a way that incorporates caregivers and staff. Specifically, communication is an important aspect of therapy because it will help professionals articulate the subjective experiences of a PWID. In turn, these subjective experiences can be used accordingly with attachment-based modalities. Attachment-based interventions are powerful tools that can be employed when working with this population due to the extensive history of unresolved loss. Regrettably, this population has been wrongfully labeled by others based on their emotions, or lack thereof. It’s important to understand that a typical theory-based model cannot be generalized to this population and should be modified due to differences in risk