Dr. Sonya Lott, PhD. | Pandemic Related Loss and the Incidence of Prolonged Grief Disorder: Are We Prepared? (1 CE hour)
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant amount of death and non-death related loss and has also impacted the way in which we are able to grieve. As a result, some grief experts have predicted a significant increase in the incidence of disenfranchised, traumatic, and prolonged grief. Other grief experts suggest that despite the negative impact of the pandemic, the type of therapeutic intervention may also have a significant impact on offsetting this predicted increase in types of grief.
In this workshop, non-death, and death related loss because of the pandemic will be discussed. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own non-death losses. The ways in which Black and Indigenous People of Color and the aged have been disproportionately impacted by loss during the pandemic will be addressed.
Aspects of the pandemic that have complicated the grieving process and are expected to increase the risk for Prolonged Grief Disorder will also be a focus of the workshop. An overview of effective interventions based on theoretical models of grief will be offered.
At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- List three types of non-death pandemic related losses
- Analyze their own non-death pandemic related losses
- Describe at least three theoretical models of death-related grief.
- Explain the diagnostic criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder
- Describe three ways in which aspects of the pandemic may increase the risk of Prolonged Grief Disorder
- Describe three effective clinical interventions for pandemic related grief.
