| . |
. |
~ Articles about Journey
of Hearts ~
Internet Use for Web-education
on the Overlooked Areas of Grief and Loss.
Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS Cole D. Thompson, MA
Abstract
Unrecognized and untreated acute depression or
grief response following a significant loss can result in personal anguish,
multiple somatic complaints, functional impairment, over utilization of
health care systems, clinical depression, and a risk of suicide. Grief
also impacts friends, family, co-workers, employers, and the community
of those affected by the loss. Thus the number of individuals impacted
by loss, grief and depression is significant.
Journey of Hearts, http://www.journeyofhearts.org,
a unique, integrative website, emerged after informal discussions with
other primary care physicians. Collectively, we were seeing more people
ultimately diagnosed with depression, or grief. Changes in medical are
resulting in more depressed patients presenting to their primary care physicians.
However, the pervasive social stigmatization of depression causes people
to seek treatment for a "cold," or "flu," rather admitting the real reason
depression or grief. The focus of this website is a unique area, the common
experience of grief and loss. The website helps to fill a void in the treatment
of depression and grief by providing resources, medical and non-medical,
and serving as an adjunctive Internet resource available at anytime.
Dealing with this unique, emotionally fragile
population—those grieving a loss—produces some unique issues and raises
several ethical dilemmas in determining the clinical impact of this type
of website on this specific population and what the response should be
to unsolicited e-mail requests. Additionally some of the current, inherent
difficulties encountered in conducting scientific evaluation and research
via the use of the Internet are also considered.
Literature Citation:
Dyer KA. Thompson CD. Internet Use for Web-education
on the Overlooked Areas of Grief and Loss. CyberPsychology and Behavior.
2000; 3(2):255-270.
CyberPsychology and Behavior
This BiMonthly peer-reviewed journal explores
the impact of the Internet, Multi-Media and Virtual Reality on behavior
and society. Recommended reading for psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists,
educators, computer scientists, business executives and opinion-makers
interested in the effects of interactive technologies. More information
can be found at the publisher's website at:
http://www.liebertpub.com/CPB  .
Grief
impacts the friends, family, co-workers, employers, and the community of
those affected by the loss. Thus the number of individuals impacted by
loss and grief is significant.
|
. |
Home
This
website 
,
the AMA's 
