Bereavement Summary Bereavement is the period of grief and mourning after a death. When you grieve, it’s part of the normal process of reacting to a loss. You may experience grief as a mental, physical, social or emotional reaction. Mental reactions can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness and despair. Physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems or illness. How long bereavement lasts can depend on how close you were to the person who died, if the person’s death was expected and other factors. Friends, family and faith may be sources of support. Grief counseling or grief therapy is also helpful to some people. NIH: National Cancer Institute Teenagers 5 Ways to Cope When a Loved One Dies Nemours Foundation Death and Grief Nemours Foundation Grieving Teen American Hospice Foundation Related Issues Bereaved Employee: Returning to Work American Hospice Foundation Complicated Grief Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Death at the Worksite: Helping Grieving Family Members American Hospice Foundation Death of a Special Needs Child Compassionate Friends Death of an Adult Child Compassionate Friends End of Life: Dealing with Grief and Confronting Painful Emotions Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research End of Life: Suicide Grief Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Grief: Coping with the Reminders After a Loss Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Grieving the Loss of a Sibling American Society of Clinical Oncology Helping a Grieving Parent American Hospice Foundation Major Depression and Complicated Grief American Cancer Society Mourning the Death of a Spouse National Institute on Aging Pregnancy Loss: How to Cope Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Surviving Your Child’s Suicide Compassionate Friends Understanding Grief within a Cultural Context American Society of Clinical Oncology Writing a Condolence Note American Hospice Foundation You Know You Are Getting Better When… American Hospice Foundation Children Children and Grief American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Helping Your Child Deal with Death Nemours Foundation How Children Understand Death & What You Should Say American Academy of Pediatrics Encyclopedia Children and grief Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Bereavement National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Grief National Institutes of Health Find an Expert Compassionate Friends Compassionate Friends Start Here Coping with Grief: When a Loved One Dies National Institutes of Health Grief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss (PDQ) National Cancer Institute How to Deal with Grief Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Understanding Grief and Loss American Society of Clinical Oncology Seniors Getting Help for Your Grief National Institute on Aging Grief and Loss as Alzheimer’s Progresses Alzheimer’s Association Array Grief Helping Grieving Children and Teenagers American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal Articles Bereavement Latest News Death of Loved One May Trigger Heart Rhythm Trouble HealthDay