The Handbook of Bereavement constitutes a comprehensive review of scientific knowledge on the consequences of losing a loved person through death. The volume brings into focus a wide variety of theoretical approaches that have been incorporated into bereavement research. Physiological changes associated with the mental and physical consequences of bereavement, where significant advances in knowledge have been made, are surveyed. The phenomenology of grief, distinctions between normal and pathological grief, as well as measurement and assessment techniques, are given detailed coverage. Chapters document not only detrimental effects to mental and physical health, but a much broader range of consequences associated with loss. The Handbook of Bereavement brings together an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars to report research and explore key issues on the topic of bereavement. Focusing on methodologically sound, theoretically oriented, and empirically derived knowledge, the authors provide a structured framework for researchers and practitioners.

"The reader of this book may be tempted--and rightly so--to call it the most comprehensive, thorough, and authoritative volume written on the subject in many years....Research design is particularly crucial, with sample selection, measures, instruments, biases, the main effects-interactions dilemma, and the heterogeneity of the concommitant psychopathology being outstanding issues." Renato D. Alarcon, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

"...an important resource in finding that understanding balance between objectivity and experience." Ann Weber, Contemporary Psychology

"...a scholarly and comprehensive work which accomplishes the editors' stated objective...a worthwhile resource for bereavement issues and concerns." Cathy Coyle, Social Work in Health Care

"...a unique, research-based volume which provides readers with an up-to-date account of knowledge about bereavement's impact, and its emotional, physical, and social effects....Drawing on the work of leading researchers from around the world, the Handbook of Bereavement is a scholarly volume which presents cutting edge information about the nature and consequences of this deeply personal experience." Noetic Sciences Review

"The editors are to be commended for the quality of the contributions they solicited and assembled....The book is mandatory reading for individuals desiring a thorough coverage of the current knowledge in the field of bereavement. Although advanced in its treatment of topics, I would recommend this handbook as a starting point for anyone interested in the field of thanatology. The critical analyses offered by the various contributors move the reader beyond a superficial understanding of the material. In a field in which the literature often appears to be part of a maze with few connecting points, Stroebe and her colleagues provide a valuable template for conceptualizing and interpreting additional material that the reader may encounter." Alicia Skinner Cook, source????