| Within the context of a genetic counseling session where cancer susceptibility test results are shared, a grief reaction is a strong possibility. A specific type of grief that is often misunderstood and understated that may manifest in such a context is anticipatory grief, which is defined as a grief response prior to an impending loss. This two-fold study involved a literature review and the development and administration of a survey to professionals involved in grief-related work. This pilot study aimed to (1) evaluate participants' responses to the survey Professional Perspectives on Grief in terms of applicability to genetic counseling, and (2) to integrate general grief and specifically anticipatory grief-related research and practice with these findings in order to theoretically and practically assert the psychosocial importance of grief awareness in cancer genetic counseling sessions. This assertion was supported through a grounded-theory analysis of the participants' expert insights and recommendations. |
