Overload: A Missing Link in the Dual Process Model?

Abstract

The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement (DPM) was put forward as a framework to help understand reactions to the death of a loved person. Since its inception, there have been various developments and further specifications regarding the model’s parameters. A number of researchers have assessed the model’s contribution and put some of its parameters to empirical test. It has also been applied in clinical practice. Despite generally positive assessment among both scientific and applied communities, we recently discovered what we consider to be a major shortcoming. The concept of overload has been neglected. Incorporation of this feature helps explain the preponderance of mental and physical health problems beyond the previous DPM focus on complications of grief. In this article, we incorporate the phenomenon of overload within the original framework, illustrating its application, and we discuss broader implications for coping and adaptation to bereavement.