Magical Thinking in Severe Grief Reactions: Theoretical Foundations and New Insights from a Grounded Theory Expert Study PDF
Preview Magical Thinking in Severe Grief Reactions: Theoretical Foundations and New Insights from a Grounded Theory Expert Study
Christian Lönneker Magical Thinking in Severe Grief Reactions Theoretical Foundations and New Insights from a Grounded Theory Expert Study BestMasters Mit „BestMasters“ zeichnet Springer die besten Masterarbeiten aus, die an renommierten Hochschulen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz ent- standen sind. Die mit Höchstnote ausgezeichneten Arbeiten wurden durch Gutachter zur Veröffentlichung empfohlen und behandeln aktuelle Themen aus unterschiedlichen Fachgebieten der Naturwissenschaften, Psychologie, Technik und Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Die Reihe wendet sich an Praktiker und Wissen- schaftler gleichermaßen und soll insbesondere auch Nachwuchswissenschaftlern Orientierung geben. Springer awards “BestMasters” to the best master’s theses which have been com- pleted at renowned Universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The stud- ies received highest marks and were recommended for publication by supervisors. They address current issues from various fields of research in natural sciences, psychology, technology, and economics. The series addresses practitioners as well as scientists and, in particular, offers guidance for early stage researchers. More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/13198 Christian Lönneker Magical Thinking in Severe Grief Reactions Theoretical Foundations and New Insights from a Grounded Theory Expert Study With a preface by Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Maercker Christian Lönneker Department of Psychology Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ISSN 2625-3577 ISSN 2625-3615 (electronic) BestMasters ISBN 978-3-658-25001-0 ISBN 978-3-658-25002-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25002-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018965930 © Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH part of Springer Nature The registered company address is: Abraham-Lincoln-Str. 46, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany For Aysu Acknowledgements The present master thesis was written at the Chair of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention at the University of Zurich. I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Iara Meili, who with her invaluable advice support- ed this qualitative research journey wherever it took us. She taught me much about academic writing and encouraged me in my efforts far be- yond the present work. I would also like to thank all participants in the expert study for their support and for very interesting conversations. Be- yond their rich expertise, they were a source of motivation and inspira- tion. Last but not least, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Maercker for enabling this innovative project and providing a stimulating framework. The initial idea for this investigation originated with him. Preface Grief and mourning are moments of existential confrontation. One is confronted with mortality, finiteness and very often with one’s own dark- ened soul. In June 2018 the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to officially recognize a new category of disorder that covers the cases of people who are unable to overcome their personal grief and who thus develop Prolonged Grief Disorder, which requires professional help. Up until now, people in this state of suffering would have been most fre- quently diagnosed with a depressive disorder. The scientific community and many clinicians around the world consider this development as long overdue. Making a contribution in this regard is Christian Lönneker’s book Magi- cal Thinking in Severe Grief Reactions. This work opens up new portals to the topic—at least from a scientific standpoint. In 2005 the American author Joan Didion published a memoir on the double bereavement she suffered after death of her husband and daughter. Christian Lönneker’s work examines in a most thoughtful and far-reaching manner the psycho- logical concepts of magical thinking as well as common beliefs relating to superstition along with its anthropological underpinnings. Lönneker focuses on the Delphi-method study as performed by experts on bereavement and grief. The author interviewed them regarding their views on the occurrence and particularities of magical thinking in relation to clients who were in the midst of bereavement and grieving. He uncov- ers many non-trivial aspects and agglomerates them to create a very co- herent overall picture. The reader will surely gain many interesting in- sights. Christian Lönneker’s final discussion of grief-related magical thinking as “uncompleted rites of passage” will have far-reaching conse- quences for further psychopathological as well as psychotherapeutic work in the field. X Preface From my personal standpoint, the current investigation is very fruitful for two additional reasons. First, the topic of magical thinking covers non- rational views and behaviors that are often neglected in psychological science. Second, these terms may be better able to nonjudgmentally cover rites and customs from non-Western parts of the world. We as psychotherapists have to learn that not all non-rational views and behavior must be changed as quickly as possible to rational ones. For the last decades we have been trained to label such interpretations and coping styles as “irrational” and to replace them with “functional” views. We may discover that not everything in the realm of non-rational mental ac- tivities is bad and needs to be extinguished. For instance experienced therapists in the area of Prolonged Grief Disorder encourage their clients to have literal conversations with their deceased loved ones. There are numerous advantages to maintaining your bond with a person who has been of such crucial and lifelong importance. Non-rational views and behavior have thus begun to slowly to factor into the practice of thera- pists. It is from the still relatively new psychological subdiscipline of cultural psychology that we have been able to learn that the Western style of thinking remains a singular instance among many other styles—for ex- ample the mothers who mourn the loss of those children who became refugees and died in frightful ways en route to their countries of exile. These mothers are often deprived of the opportunity to express their grief in a heartfelt manner. Much of what they report may sound peculiar to listeners and even to mental health experts. A deep religiosity or spiritual- ity which comes packaged in certain cultural mores may overwhelm the rational Western therapist with their seeming strangeness. The concept of magical thinking surely provides a road to better understanding the broad range of phenomena which are apparently new to us in the Western hemi- sphere. Preface XI There is much left to study in the field of severe grief reactions or Pro- longed Grief Disorder—from a practioner’s viewpoint as well as from that of more basic research. Christian Lönneker’s work on magical think- ing in grief is an important building block in this endeavor. Berlin, September 2018 Andreas Maercker, PhD MD Professor of Psychology
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