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Disenfranchised grief a barrier to facing a loss

Understanding that it exists is a step toward healing

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Airdate: Monday, August 2, 2021

When a close friend or family member experiences a death or loss, it is often difficult to find the right words to comfort them. Because it is difficult, some people might say nothing to avoid saying the wrong thing.

The grief experienced by a significant loss is called disenfranchised when others avoid talking about it or if they use a cliché that minimizes that loss.

With more than 28,000 Pennsylvanians having died from COVID-19, many people are facing this experience, especially when there are people who don’t recognize the virus as a real threat to public health.

Kenneth Doka, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at the Graduate School of The College of New Rochelle and Senior Vice President with the Hospice Foundation of America, pioneered the concept of “disenfranchised” grief. He joins Smart Talk Monday to explain the concept and how understanding it can help people to heal and connect with one another.

For more on public health issues plus a deeper look at the changing tide of healthcare–check out WITF’s Transforming Health. Online at TransformingHealth.org, a partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital Blue Cross.

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