Recommendations for practice. Grief is a crisis in family development. (Shapiro, 2002) It is overwhelming because it increases the family’s emotional burden while shattering the life routines and ways of coping. One task of the grieving family is to re-establish the stable equilibrium necessary to support family development. Therefore, the family will need to re-establish their daily routines and find a stable way to cope with emotions without disturbing routines. This strategy will increase their sense of competence at meeting family needs and enables them to search for understanding and meaning for the death.
Implications for
providers. Healthcare providers working with bereaved African American families need to bear in mind the historical, cultural, and social factors that help shape these families’ grief responses and needs. Issues to be mindful of include
• historical distrust • culturally linked concept of family structure and the decision-making process
• diverse communication styles. Communication is key in helping families cope with this crisis in development. The grief process is highly individualized and will be affected by variables such as stressors from the death and available resources and sup- port. Assessment of support is key to assist families tap available resources.
• the perception of health as physical, with a moral/spiritual balance
Facilitate the process for families, but don’t decide for them. It is also important to consider the whole person in a nonjudgmental approach.
One commonality and support among African American families is their spirituality. Throughout their history in America, religion has been a source of strength that has helped them cope and survive. Consequently, spirituality should be a component of support services for grieving African American families.
In summary, there is wide diversity in the African American population due to the influx of newly migrated groups with different cultural influences. Families are also from diverse educational, economic, and social backgrounds that affect their grief response and coping strategies. Providers must be open to new ideas and willing to learn by asking clients what would help them. Flexibility in this interaction is the key to supporting and assisting families as they deal with the tragedy of their infant’s death.
Service providers working with bereaved families must be mindful of the unique history, values, and traditions of the communities they serve. A family’s reaction to the death of a child and the kind of support they find helpful will vary across cultures, communi- ties, and individuals. Understanding the backgrounds and traditions of different racial/ ethnic groups is important, but it is just as important not to stereotype all people within a particular group. The death of a baby is one part of an ever-changing landscape of the woman’s life, and her reaction is shaped by the many contextual factors that surround the loss. The African American experience continues to change, and it will differ from family to family.
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VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY: CROSS CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS OF GRIEF AT THE LOSS OF AN INFANT
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