title: Adapting the transtheoretical model of change to the bereavement process.
abstract: Theorists currently believe that bereaved people undergo some transformation of self rather than returning to their original state. To advance our understanding of this process, this article presents an adaptation of Prochaska and DiClemente's transtheoretical model of change as it could be applied to the journey that bereaved individuals experience. This theory is unique because it addresses attitudes, intentions, and behavioral processes at each stage; it allows for a focus on a broader range of emotions than just anger and depression; it allows for the recognition of two periods of regression during the bereavement process; and it adds a maintenance stage, which other theories lack. This theory can benefit bereaved individuals directly and through the increased awareness among counselors, family, friends, employers, and society at large. This theory may also be used as a tool for bereavement programs to consider whether they are meeting clients' needs throughout the transformation change bereavement process rather than only focusing on the initial stages characterized by intense emotion.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. kcalder@uwindsor.ca
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Calderwood
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001601:Bereavement; D003376:Counseling; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011582:Psychological Theory; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012917:Social Adjustment