Emily has come in to see you as she has just recently suffered a significant loss in her personal life. Ten (10) months ago, Emily's son Alex, who was only 17 years old, passed away in a car accident. Emily shares with you that since she lost Alex, she feels "...like my whole world has fallen apart" and "part of me is gone". Emily also shares with you that Alex's father has not been involved in their lives, so it has always just been the two of them. Emily tells you that she and Alex shared a special bond and that they were incredibly close. "He would always ask me about my day, how I was, if I was okay and anything like that. He would always look out for me and put me before him, that's just the kind of person he was." Emily explains to you that she has avoided her social life as she hasn't got the energy to see her friends. They have tried to contact her, but she rarely replies. Emily tells you that she finds it incredibly difficult to believe that she will recover from this. She feels as if no matter what happens in life, it won't matter because Alex is no longer with her. Emily explains to you that she now spends most of her days in bed and staying home inside. She says that she often sleeps a lot and then not at all. She also tells you she sometimes forgets to eat. She tells you that she no longer enjoys any of her hobbies and that she has also stopped working because "I couldn't find the strength to go out and function like I'm okay and everything is all good. I just had to leave because it became unbearable". Emily shares with you that the whole world feels "grey and dark" and that she often has panic attacks and episodes where she cannot stop crying for hours on end.

1)

A) What type of grief is Emily experiencing? B) List two (2) reactions that Emily is exhibiting, that explains your answer.

2)

Grief and loss may be Emily's main concern. Identify three (3) negative impacts that are associated with the grief and loss that Emily may be experiencing.

3)

A) What behaviours would indicate that a person may be thinking of suicide? B) As Emily's support worker/counsellor do you believe she may be experiencing suicidal ideation? C) How can the support worker/counsellor assess the risk?

4)

A) What are two (2) signs that Emily is having trouble coping with the grief of losing her son. B) Include two (2) referrals to a support network for Emily. One must be formal, and one must be informal.