Utilizing the Pandemic Grief Scale:
Latest Research and Clinical Implications
Continuing research on the adaptation of Americans to bereavement in the context of the pandemic has expanded to include those suffering losses from causes beyond COVID-19. The unique circumstances under which people die and grieve since March of 2020 are nearly universal, affecting virtually all individuals facing the death of a loved one. Dr. Niemeyer and Dr. Lee will compare the impact of loss because of COVID-19, other natural causes, and violent death, and consider the role of meaning-making in mediating the circumstantial risk factors that can complicate grief and impair functioning of survivors. Utilizing clinically useful screeners such as the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) for severe grief responses in the pandemic, the speakers will suggest how to bridge from assessment to intervention and offer principles and practices to inform professional support.