Anticipatory Grief Reconsidered

Abstract

Anticipatory grief is a term that describes a process in which an individual confronted with impending loss initiates the grieving process in anticipation of that event. It is assumed to be a positively adaptive response to expected loss because it provides a person with an opportunity to rehearse the bereaved role and begin working through the profound changes that typically accompany loss, thereby mitigating the trauma associated with actual bereavement. Although this concept has received a considerable amount of attention among clinicians, there has been surprisingly little empirical documentation of the phenomenon. This article critically reviews the empirical literature on anticipatory grief and highlights the inconsistent findings about whether the phenomenon exists and whether its effects are beneficial. Directions for future research are suggested.