What is Death?

Death is the word we use to describe the end of physical life of a living organism. It is the cessation of the connection between our mind and our body and is the permanent end of all life functions in a life form.

The death of a loved one is always difficult and for children, the death of a loved one can affect their sense of security. Like adults, children express loss by grieving, however, children may demonstrate grief differently to adults. Pre-schoolers usually see death as temporary and expect the person or animal to return, as if its just been on a holiday. From the age of five, children begin to experience grief more like adults and are aware of the finality of death. It is necessary to understand,however, that the chronological age of the child may not be accurately represnetative of their developmental age and all children will react differently (Wass & Corr, 1984(a); Wass & Corr, 1984(b); Kastenbaum, 1977).

There are a number of differing views on death. Perspectives from different cultures, religions and beliefs will affect the way that people experience the death of a loved one.

What is Grief?

Grief is the name given to the natural reactions people experience when they encounter a loss (BBC, 2007).

The extent of a person's grief will vary depending on the intensity of the loss they have experienced. In general, grief from loss can be as simple as losing a precious item or as complex as the death of a loved one. Even within these areas the extent of the grief will vary from person to person.

The most prevalent element of the grieving process is time. The amount of time a person takes to work through their grief will vary for every individual. It is important to allow people to grieve in their own way while remaining mindful of healthy physical and emotional reactions and responses.

Grief is sometimes also referred to as mourning or bereavement and is a strong and sometimes overwhelming emotion for people (Grollman, 1967; Hollingsworth, 1977; Benton, 1978).