University of Pennsylvania, Institute on Aging, 3615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
This consensus paper describes the essential skills that clinicians need to help persons who are experiencing grief after the death of a loved one. Four aspects of the grieving process are reviewed: anticipatory grief, acute grief, normal grief reactions, and complicated grief. Techniques for assessment and recommendations about interventions and indications for referral are provided for each aspect.