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Acceptance: “I know my time has come; it’s almost my time.”
Despite Ross’s popularity, there are a growing number of critics of her theory who argue that her
five-stage sequence is too constraining because attitudes toward death and dying have been
found to vary greatly across cultures and religions, and these variations make the process of
dying different according to culture (Bonanno, 2009). [20] As an example, Japanese Americans
restrain their grief (Corr, Nabe, & Corr, 2009) [21] so as not to burden other people with their
pain. By contrast, Jews observe a 7-day, publicly announced mourning period. In some cultures
the elderly are more likely to be living and coping alone, or perhaps only with their spouse,
whereas in other cultures, such as the Hispanic culture, the elderly are more likely to be living
with their sons and daughters and other relatives, and this social support may create a better
quality of life for them (Diaz-Cabello, 2004). [22]
Margaret Stroebe and her colleagues (2008) [23] found that although most people adjusted to the
loss of a loved one without seeking professional treatment, many had an increased risk of
mortality, particularly within the early weeks and months after the loss. These researchers also
found that people going through the grieving process suffered more physical and psychological
symptoms and illnesses and used more medical services.
The health of survivors during the end of life is influenced by factors such as circumstances
surrounding the loved one’s death, individual personalities, and ways of coping. People serving
as caretakers to partners or other family members who are ill frequently experience a great deal
of stress themselves, making the dying process even more stressful. Despite the trauma of the
loss of a loved one, people do recover and are able to continue with effective lives. Grief
intervention programs can go a long way in helping people cope during the bereavement period
(Neimeyer, Holland, Currier, & Mehta, 2008). [24]^