ON TREATING THOSE BEREAVED BY SUDDEN, UNANTICIPATED DEATH

A sudden, unanticipated death confronts the mourner not only with the loss of the loved one, but with personal traumatization resulting from the unexpected psychological assault brought by the event. interventi ons necessarily must target the twin goals of trauma mastery and accom modation of the loss. This article delineates the specific issues inhe rent in sudden death that tend to complicate mourning and suggests tre atment interventions to employ when working with a mourner confronting this type of loss. An in-depth case study is provided to illustrate t he treatment process. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.