title: Can individuals who are specialists in death, dying, and bereavement contribute to the prevention and/or mitigation of armed conflicts and cycles of violence?
abstract: Specialists in death, dying, and bereavement and their consequences for individuals, families, and communities have experience and research findings that are relevant to an understanding of the reactions of individuals faced by deadly violence. At such times, powerful emotions and ingrained patterns of thought and behavior can given rise to disproportionate responses that may feed into cycles of violence. An extended table shows how professionals helping individuals and families faced with violent death share common aims with those aiming to help larger social units faced with armed attacks. It follows that these professionals should work together to improve death education, to prepare people for possible deadly violence and, where possible, to suggest alternatives, to create secure places and relationships in which communication becomes possible, bad news can be broken and understood, feelings examined, differences reconciled, and people can redirect anger into the prevention of escalation rather than its perpetuation. All of these activities hold out hope that cycles of deadly violence can be broken as well as mitigating the consequences when they are not. The undoubted success of the worldwide palliative care movement resulted from the recognition of serious deficiencies in existing services, the provision of an inclusive, holistic, program that extends across medical, social psychological, and spiritual realms of discourse, providing care for patients and their families, irrespective of wealth, race, religion, and political persuasion, by dedicated leaders and teams backed by education and information services and organized across geographical boundaries. It is argued here that the time is ripe for a similar commitment to bring to an end the scandal of armed conflict by a similarly multidisciplinary, multicultural effort to relieve the suffering that both causes and results from armed conflict. This must remain independent of race, religion, political persuasion, and opposing sides and could build upon the leadership, educational models, information services, and international organizations that already exist for the provision of palliative and bereavement care.
authors: Colin Murray
authors: CM
authors: Parkes
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Attig
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Bendiksen
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Cabrera
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Corr
authors: Gerry
authors: G
authors: Cox
authors: Susanna
authors: S
authors: Faust
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Fulton
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Jupp
authors: Kjell
authors: K
authors: Kallenberg
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Lamers
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Lamers
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Long
authors: Diane
authors: D
authors: McKissock
authors: Mal
authors: M
authors: McKissock
authors: Mary Ann
authors: MA
authors: Morgan
authors: Danai
authors: D
authors: Papadatou
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Stevenson
authors: Sandol
authors: S
authors: Stoddard
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Weiss
authors: Marcy
authors: M
authors: Wrenn
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001601:Bereavement; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare