Coping with Bereavement: A Review of the Grief Work Hypothesis

Abstract

The article challenges the longstanding belief in the importance of “grief work” for adjustment to bereavement (the grief work hypothesis). It examines claims made in theoretical formulations and principles of grief counseling and therapy concerning the necessity of working through loss. Empirical evidence is reviewed, and cross-cultural findings are described to document alternative patterns of coping with grief. It is argued that there are grounds for questioning the hypothesis: 1) existing definitions and operationalizations are problematic; 2) the few empirical studies that have examined the impact of grief work have yielded equivocal results; 3) grief work is not a universal concept. Limitations of the grief work hypothesis as an explanation of coping with bereavement are identified and a differential approach is suggested. Implications for counseling and therapy are discussed.