Grave Visiting as Healthy Continuing Bond — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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EasyBereavementGrave Visiting as Healthy Continuing BondSCE Palliative Medicine

A 55-year-old woman whose husband died from cancer 6 months ago reports finding comfort in visiting his grave daily and talking to the headstone. Her daughter is worried this is 'unhealthy.' What does bereavement research suggest?

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Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Grave visiting and talking to the deceased are normal expressions of continuing bonds — healthy coping behaviours, not pathology

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · C = shown as B · D = shown as C · A = shown as D

Option A is correct. The continuing bonds model, widely accepted in UK bereavement care, recognises that maintaining a relationship with the deceased—through acts such as grave visiting or speaking aloud—is a normal and often health‑promoting adaptive response to loss (Silverman & Klass) ([sth.nhs.uk](https://www.sth.nhs.uk/clientfiles/File/Theory%20of%20Loss.pdf?utm_source=openai)). A recent UK systematic review confirms that such continuing bonds—including communication and rituals—can provide comfort and aid adaptation after bereavement ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37336784/?utm_source=openai)). Options B–E are incorrect: there is no evidence-based frequency threshold (daily vs weekly) that demarcates pathology, and such behaviour alone does not indicate psychosis or invariably require intervention unless accompanied by functional impairment or features of prolonged grief disorder beyond 12 months.

Reference: Theories around loss & bereavement (NHS Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, 2019) and “The impact of continuing bonds following bereavement: A systematic review” (UK authors, 2024), https://www.sth.nhs.uk/clientfiles/File/Theory%20of%20Loss.pdf