Mental health professionals’ perspectives on older persons’ experiences of loss and grief : implications for counselling

Abstract

An ever-increasing number of people are living into old age, a milestone bringing with it momentous challenges and transitions that might include various types of losses associated with death of loved ones or non-death losses, such as loss of health or loss of independence. With a dearth of literature on mental health professionals’ perspectives on the therapeutic experiences of older persons, this study aimed to explore mental health professionals’ perspectives of psychologically supporting older persons in processing of loss and grief. A qualitative explanatory approach using Reflexive Thematic Analysis was chosen to address the research question. Eight semi-structured, one-time, audio-recorded interviews were carried out with psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists who have experienced supporting older people. The analysis generated four main themes: Navigating the Spectrum of Older Persons’ Death and Non-Death Losses, “A Black Shadow of Grief”, Turning to Psychological Support, and Advancing Wellbeing in Older Adults. The findings underlined commonalities among participant professionals psychologically supporting older persons and gave weight to the depth and complexity of the grief experienced by older individuals. Additionally, participants highlighted what psychological support for older people adapted to help their clients process their loss and grief entails. The need to enhance older adults’ overall wellbeing, including their emotional processing of loss and grief, was also highlighted. Lastly, recommendations for education and policy makers, as well as potential areas for future research, and implications for counselling were put forward. Counselling older persons can address the unique challenges of loss and grief experienced by older persons. Moreover, counsellors can focus on understanding older persons’ diverse needs and life stories, and partner with existing services to enhance accessibility and advocating for systemic reforms to improve psychological support for grieving older persons.