Bereavement academic journal relaunched
In January 2022 we published our new open-access journal Bereavement: Journal of grief and responses to death
Forty years on from first publication, the journal Bereavement is today publishing a new open-access online edition in association with Cruse Bereavement Support. Cruse and the editorial board are excited to introduce Bereavement: Journal of grief and responses to death. The journal was previously known as Bereavement Care and renamed for the release of the latest issue.
History
The modernised publication has grown from its roots as an 8-page educational newsletter that provided vital support to Cruse volunteers. It will now be the online home to regular articles from leading experts, as they write about grief from a variety of perspectives including academia and research, innovation in the field and commentary on current practice.
Following the success of the journal’s pioneering work as a printed publication from 1982, the magazine opened up its offering to everyone who helped bereaved people. It soon expanded to include academic articles from experts on grief and bereavement.
In 2009 it was taken on by the publishers, Routledge, where it was also published online for its subscribers and it increased in popularity as it became available to an international audience.
Coverage
Earlier issues included articles that explored themes such as:
- violent death and the media
- bereavement among immigrant and refugee families
- helping disaster victims
- working with bereaved children.
The journal has never shied away from covering important and sometimes controversial subjects. This exciting launch means an open access online resource will now be freely available for everyone in bereavement research, policy or practice.
New edition
To continue the legacy of the journal’s conversations and academic analysis on grief, this new edition includes articles covering:
- Julia Samuel’s reflections on working as a therapist during the pandemic
- latest research on bereavement during the Covid-19 pandemic
- the uniqueness of the loss of a twin
- grief support and therapy dogs for women in prison
- It also asks the important question: do we need to decolonise bereavement studies?
Cruse will be publishing blog posts on key topics raised and discussed in the journal on its website, to widen the knowledge and understanding of bereavement beyond the academic research to practitioners and to the general public.
A space for critical and informed research, discussion and debate on grief and bereavement is more vital than ever. Bereavement: Journal of grief and responses to death aims’ to provide this space, supporting the ever-growing community of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, volunteers and people with lived experience involved in improving understanding of grief and bereavement and enhancing the quality of support provided to bereaved people.
Since its beginning with the incredible work of psychiatrists Colin Murray Parkes and Dora Black; the journal has played an important part in Cruse’s vision that we live in a world where everyone grieving is understood. We’re thrilled to be embarking on this new chapter of the Bereavement Journal and to be hosting such an exciting collection of new academic literature on grief in the modern world.