title: Same-Sex Partner Bereavement: Non-HIV-Related Loss and New Research Directions.
abstract: The experience of same-sex-attracted people who have lost a partner is neglected in the existing literature on bereavement. Previous research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTIQ) populations tends to focus on the loss of a partner to HIV-related causes, and there is scant research concerning non-HIV-related bereavement. The purpose of this article is to investigate the non-HIV-related bereavement experiences of same-sex partners and to address the potential complications of disenfranchised grief. Coping with the loss of a same-sex partner and the impact of bereavement on subsequent relationships are also discussed. Implications for counseling of bereaved same-sex-attracted individuals are drawn, and recommendations for future psychological research on the experience of bereavement are made.
authors.affiliation: 1 Psychology Programs, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Lefteris
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patlamazoglou
authors.affiliation: 1 Psychology Programs, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Janette G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Simmonds
authors.affiliation: 1 Psychology Programs, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Tristan L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Snell
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001601:Bereavement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: bereavement; counseling; disenfranchised grief; loss; same-sex