Anticipatory grief is the grieving process that occurs before the actual loss, when a person knows that death is approaching — through terminal illness of oneself or a loved one. It includes sadness, longing, anger, and preventive adaptive work. It does not "exhaust" subsequent grief; it coexists with and modifies it.
Concept origin
Lindemann (1944) first mentioned anticipatory grief in his study of the Coconut Grove fire. Rando (1986) developed the concept extensively and clarified that it does not equate to "advance grief" that reduces pain afterward: they are overlapping and complementary processes.
Therapeutic approach
Interventions in anticipatory grief combine support for the current experience of loss with support in practical decisions (advance directive, farewells), and help the person process multiple secondary losses: roles, projects, the future version of the loved one.
Related concepts
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