CASE-HISTORIES OF TRAUMATIC GRIEF

The symptoms of traumatic grief have been shown to be distinct from th ose of bereavement-related depression and anxiety among elderly widows and widowers, and bare striking resemblance to symptoms of Posttrauma tic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In light of the findings demonstrating tha t traumatic grief is associated with a heightened risk of critical men tal and physical health outcomes, it is important to understand the un derlying mechanisms that may put bereaved individuals at risk of devel oping traumatic grief. Attachment theory offers an explanation for why loss of a stabilizing relationship might be traumatic for individuals who possess insecure or unstable attachments (e.g., excessive depende ncy, defensive separation, compulsive caregiving) and self-regulatory deficits (e.g., identity disturbances, difficulty with affect modulati on). A model illustrating hypothesized causal linkages between childho od experiences, attachment and personality traits, dissolution of a st abilizing relationship, and traumatic symptomatology is proposed. Case histories of late-life pre-and post-loss traumatic grievers are prese nted and discussed in terms of their compatibility with the proposed m odel.