Hospice & Palliative Medicine– In the Division of General Medical Disciplines

Palliative Care Research

Research on Preparatory Grief and Depression in Palliative Care Patients

Title Resource Download
Identifying and Managing Preparatory
Grief and Depression at the End of Life		 This paper gives a overview on preparatory grief and depression in palliative care patients and outlines the differences between the two phenomena   Download PDF
Is it Grief or Depression Distinguishing between a dying patient's normal grief and a major depression is a part of routine care for patients near the end-of-life. This Fast Fact will review the definitions and clinical features that distinguish these conditions. Link
The development and initial validation of the Terminally ill Grief or Depression Scale (TIGDS) This paper describes the development and initial validation of the Terminally ill Grief or Depression Scale (TIGDS)   Download PDF
The Terminally Ill Grief or Depression Scale (TIGDS) This 42 item scale is a psychometrically robust tool specifically designed to differentiate between preparatory grief and depression in patients with serious life limiting illnesses. Link
Resources for health professionals
  1. Stanford E-Campus: http://ecampus.stanford.edu
    • Fall 2009: Assessment and Management of Depression and Anxiety in Advanced Illness by Susan Block, MD, Harvard Medical School
    • Winter 2010: Assessment and management of bereaved subjects by Susan Block, MD, Harvard Medical School
  2. Available now: Module on Bereavement by Colin Murray Parkes, MD at http://endoflife.stanford.edu
 If you are a health professional, our modules are available free and full text with completion certificates. Please go to:
  1. http://ecampus.stanford.edu
  2. http://endoflife.stanford.edu
For patients and families Preparatory grief is the type of grief that people who have serious life limiting illness go through.
They feel this grief as they go through the physical and emotional changes that are part of the advanced illness process.		   Download PDF

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