Unresolved grief in persons with cancer referred for psychotherapy

Of 135 persons with cancer referred for psychotherapy, 76 per cent were found to have had a previous grief experience, and 60 per cent were suffering from unresolved grief for previous losses. This article discusses the identification of those most vulnerable to unresolved grief in later life and discusses the problems previous losses have on one's ability to deal with the current crisis of a diagnosis of cancer. The impact of early childhood loss, identification with the deceased, chronic grief, delayed grief, exaggerated or masked grief, and the death of a dream are discussed, and clinical examples are used to illustrate concepts of intervention.