Complexities of family grief in a burns unit: some social work dilemmas

Grief is a complex, emotional, but nevertheless normal, natural and painful process which is necessary and common to us all. The intensity of grief is influenced by many factors, e.g., degree of attachment, quality and length of relationship, length and nature of the illness, and whether the death is sudden or expected. Various stages of grief include numbness, disbelief, anger, guilt, remorse, despair, acceptance. In a medical setting the social worker faces dilemmas when involved with family grief, and some of these are addressed herein.