VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GRIEF STUDY
Help further our understanding of relationships between people and their pets
Has your cat or dog died within the last year?
Have you NOT experienced the death a close person within the last two years?
Are you at least 18 years of age?
A Ph.D. candidate at the California School of Professional Psychology is seeking volunteers to answer brief research questionnaires about their experience with the death of an animal companion
Participation is voluntary and confidential.
You may complete questionnaires online by visiting http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Psxx...JO0Xf01Yw_3d_3d
If you have any questions regarding this study, feel free to contact Loren King, M.A. at animal.loss@gmail.com
Full Version: Volunteers Needed For Grief Study
I don't qualify for this particular study, but would still like to make a few general comments and to ask one question.
One, I have to wonder why it's limited to only the first year, when grief can last a lifetime, and yes, even for one's fur-child.
Two, I've seen a number of these studies come out of the U.S. (and participated in a couple, done by those in different fields than yours) and would like to suggest that if ANY of you who do research grief and bereavement over animals happen to have any Canadian colleagues or friends in similar fields, please tell them we need CANADIAN studies of this nature done as well, as municipalities here often refuse to listen to the findings of studies outside of our own country, which doesn't help us in the long run here.
And three, my question:
Given that you're in Clinical Psychology, does this mean that you've taken part in laboratory research that has used live animals as part of that research? (some of the most heinous research has had to do with psychological experimentation, like keeping cats awake until they go clinically insane, or died, from severe sleep deprivation) And if so, have you voiced any opposition to using living, sentient beings as part of that research &/or refused to take part in same?
Because I'm afraid if that is the case and there's been no strong opposition to such practice, I, for one, would find it impossible and more than distasteful to lend help to someone who has either committed or aided, abetted or passively enabled such research, in the name of helping HUMANS who suffer (from whatever), whilst subjecting the very ones we love and grieve over to such torturous experimentation, even if they're not 'OURS', personally.
I hope you're still linked to your posting here, so that we can all receive an answer to this question before we blindly consider helping.
One, I have to wonder why it's limited to only the first year, when grief can last a lifetime, and yes, even for one's fur-child.
Two, I've seen a number of these studies come out of the U.S. (and participated in a couple, done by those in different fields than yours) and would like to suggest that if ANY of you who do research grief and bereavement over animals happen to have any Canadian colleagues or friends in similar fields, please tell them we need CANADIAN studies of this nature done as well, as municipalities here often refuse to listen to the findings of studies outside of our own country, which doesn't help us in the long run here.
And three, my question:
Given that you're in Clinical Psychology, does this mean that you've taken part in laboratory research that has used live animals as part of that research? (some of the most heinous research has had to do with psychological experimentation, like keeping cats awake until they go clinically insane, or died, from severe sleep deprivation) And if so, have you voiced any opposition to using living, sentient beings as part of that research &/or refused to take part in same?
Because I'm afraid if that is the case and there's been no strong opposition to such practice, I, for one, would find it impossible and more than distasteful to lend help to someone who has either committed or aided, abetted or passively enabled such research, in the name of helping HUMANS who suffer (from whatever), whilst subjecting the very ones we love and grieve over to such torturous experimentation, even if they're not 'OURS', personally.
I hope you're still linked to your posting here, so that we can all receive an answer to this question before we blindly consider helping.
i emailed Loren to come back to the site to read what you wrote.
Thanks for that, Marc! 
I appreciate your initiative very much!
I appreciate your initiative very much!
Thank you for your post. I think you are raising some very important questions.
In response to your first question, the reason the study is limited to the first year is purely for research design purposes. I absolutely agree that grief can (if not always, at least to some degree) last a lifetime. However, there are questions as to if (and how) greif changes over the course of a lifetime. If the way grief is experienced changes over the lifetime, then people who are in the first year of grief (and I understand that the assignment of one year is somewhaarbitrary) may be experiencing their grief qualitatively different (which may be irrespective of intensity) than people who are in their say, 10th year of grief. Therefore, it may be worthwhile in a study, in order for results to be interpretable, to make sure that participants are in somewhat similar with regard to how long they have experienced their grief.
Second, I absolutely agree with you that there needs to be more studies on this topic published in Canada as well as other countries around the world, and I am encouraging of such studies.
Third, as someone who will someday be a clinical psychologist, I very strongly oppose experimental research on animals in the laboratory, as are most clinical psychologists I know. In my opinion, it is cruel, inhumane, and immoral. I know there are some academic research fields (including experimental psychology, as well as some medical fields) that have a history of cruel experimentation on animals, and some still do engage in 'animal model' research. I have always been opposed to such research. I remember as a child being exposed to literature from various animal rights groups exposing vivisection (my mother is an avid member of various animal rights organizations), which is what encouraged me to become an advocate for animal rights. As an animal lover, I could never condone such acts.
With regard to my research, I have chosen to study this topic because of my personal experiences of loss of beloved companion animals and my disdain at times when the seriousness of it was not recognized. Perhaps this type of loss is not recognized sometimes as a legitimate cause for mourning in our society, because the loss is viewed to be of "just an animal." The overarching goal of my research is to raise awareness of the fact that the loss of a beloved animal is very distressful, does result in grief (and very intense grief for some people) and that it should be recognized and certaintly not minimized. I want to be sure that clinical psycholgists are sensitive to this issue.
I hope you get a chance to read my response to your questions. Please let me know if you have any further questions, comments or suggestions.
Thanks again,
Loren
In response to your first question, the reason the study is limited to the first year is purely for research design purposes. I absolutely agree that grief can (if not always, at least to some degree) last a lifetime. However, there are questions as to if (and how) greif changes over the course of a lifetime. If the way grief is experienced changes over the lifetime, then people who are in the first year of grief (and I understand that the assignment of one year is somewhaarbitrary) may be experiencing their grief qualitatively different (which may be irrespective of intensity) than people who are in their say, 10th year of grief. Therefore, it may be worthwhile in a study, in order for results to be interpretable, to make sure that participants are in somewhat similar with regard to how long they have experienced their grief.
Second, I absolutely agree with you that there needs to be more studies on this topic published in Canada as well as other countries around the world, and I am encouraging of such studies.
Third, as someone who will someday be a clinical psychologist, I very strongly oppose experimental research on animals in the laboratory, as are most clinical psychologists I know. In my opinion, it is cruel, inhumane, and immoral. I know there are some academic research fields (including experimental psychology, as well as some medical fields) that have a history of cruel experimentation on animals, and some still do engage in 'animal model' research. I have always been opposed to such research. I remember as a child being exposed to literature from various animal rights groups exposing vivisection (my mother is an avid member of various animal rights organizations), which is what encouraged me to become an advocate for animal rights. As an animal lover, I could never condone such acts.
With regard to my research, I have chosen to study this topic because of my personal experiences of loss of beloved companion animals and my disdain at times when the seriousness of it was not recognized. Perhaps this type of loss is not recognized sometimes as a legitimate cause for mourning in our society, because the loss is viewed to be of "just an animal." The overarching goal of my research is to raise awareness of the fact that the loss of a beloved animal is very distressful, does result in grief (and very intense grief for some people) and that it should be recognized and certaintly not minimized. I want to be sure that clinical psycholgists are sensitive to this issue.
I hope you get a chance to read my response to your questions. Please let me know if you have any further questions, comments or suggestions.
Thanks again,
Loren
QUOTE (Furkidlets' Mom @ Oct 6 2008, 11:36 AM) 
I don't qualify for this particular study, but would still like to make a few general comments and to ask one question.
One, I have to wonder why it's limited to only the first year, when grief can last a lifetime, and yes, even for one's fur-child.
Two, I've seen a number of these studies come out of the U.S. (and participated in a couple, done by those in different fields than yours) and would like to suggest that if ANY of you who do research grief and bereavement over animals happen to have any Canadian colleagues or friends in similar fields, please tell them we need CANADIAN studies of this nature done as well, as municipalities here often refuse to listen to the findings of studies outside of our own country, which doesn't help us in the long run here.
And three, my question:
Given that you're in Clinical Psychology, does this mean that you've taken part in laboratory research that has used live animals as part of that research? (some of the most heinous research has had to do with psychological experimentation, like keeping cats awake until they go clinically insane, or died, from severe sleep deprivation) And if so, have you voiced any opposition to using living, sentient beings as part of that research &/or refused to take part in same?
Because I'm afraid if that is the case and there's been no strong opposition to such practice, I, for one, would find it impossible and more than distasteful to lend help to someone who has either committed or aided, abetted or passively enabled such research, in the name of helping HUMANS who suffer (from whatever), whilst subjecting the very ones we love and grieve over to such torturous experimentation, even if they're not 'OURS', personally.
I hope you're still linked to your posting here, so that we can all receive an answer to this question before we blindly consider helping.
One, I have to wonder why it's limited to only the first year, when grief can last a lifetime, and yes, even for one's fur-child.
Two, I've seen a number of these studies come out of the U.S. (and participated in a couple, done by those in different fields than yours) and would like to suggest that if ANY of you who do research grief and bereavement over animals happen to have any Canadian colleagues or friends in similar fields, please tell them we need CANADIAN studies of this nature done as well, as municipalities here often refuse to listen to the findings of studies outside of our own country, which doesn't help us in the long run here.
And three, my question:
Given that you're in Clinical Psychology, does this mean that you've taken part in laboratory research that has used live animals as part of that research? (some of the most heinous research has had to do with psychological experimentation, like keeping cats awake until they go clinically insane, or died, from severe sleep deprivation) And if so, have you voiced any opposition to using living, sentient beings as part of that research &/or refused to take part in same?
Because I'm afraid if that is the case and there's been no strong opposition to such practice, I, for one, would find it impossible and more than distasteful to lend help to someone who has either committed or aided, abetted or passively enabled such research, in the name of helping HUMANS who suffer (from whatever), whilst subjecting the very ones we love and grieve over to such torturous experimentation, even if they're not 'OURS', personally.
I hope you're still linked to your posting here, so that we can all receive an answer to this question before we blindly consider helping.
Too bad about your time-line. My loss was 9/10/07. Your question is dated 10/2/08. Missed your one year by.....that much.
One year is not very long. One significant item about it is we talk about it being the first year as the hardest because we are always saying.....last year he/she was still alive on this date.
Once we past that crucial one year anniversary...we can't use that anymore but we start other sayings.
Good luck with your study.
One year is not very long. One significant item about it is we talk about it being the first year as the hardest because we are always saying.....last year he/she was still alive on this date.
Once we past that crucial one year anniversary...we can't use that anymore but we start other sayings.
Good luck with your study.
Dear Loren,
Thanks so much for coming back to address my questions! Very good of you.
And even though this isn't why you came here, please accept my sincere sympathy for your OWN personal losses as well, no matter when they were. I also share in the same "disdain" you felt whenever my losses aren't recognized as valid....and frankly, for me, unfortunately, this has extended even into human loss...but those still weren't as painful as those of my fur-kids'.
I can understand why the study limits it to the (arbitrary) first year. One fine day, though, I sincerely wish someone would do a study that targets something like 2-5 years after the fact. I rather think that might lend even more weight to the emotional importance and impact of our animal companions/children in our lives, and thereby also help elevate their perceived status in the world. Something to keep in mind, perhaps....
I've actually participated in at least 2 other studies like this, one dealing with human loss, the other with animal loss, but both imposed the same time limit. One other animal loss study I declined to finish as I found too many of the questions rather condescending to animals and to our sometimes massive relationships with them. I did tell the study's researcher my impressions of that, though.
I was most pleasantly surprised and most grateful to hear about your (and your mother's!) perspectives and convictions about animal research and I, and I'm sure many others here, thank you heartily for that! It was a real breath of fresh air, as it's been my experience that many psychologists, clinical or otherwise, might say they "love" animals, but their REAL atti*tudes become apparent in later conversation and by the way they, themselves, treat their OWN animal companions.....often still lower than any human family member. That's also why it's so difficult for many of us to even FIND good therapists for our grief; nothing simpatico there to work with!
And since you'd like to make a definitive impact in this field, I'd also like to direct you to something SCIENTIFIC I'd just posted here, that may actually help you in your endeavors to effect that sensitivity in your future or present colleagues. It was from Dr. Bruce Lipton's work, "The Biology of Belief", and since Dr. Lipton is a cellular biologist, I would hope that what he and the other scientists he's quoted have said might carry more perceived weight with others in similar or related circles. (not that anything IS unrelated to everything else, mind you) You can access this material here.
In a similar vein, I'd also posted information on how the chemicals released in our bodies has been shown to be the SAME, no matter the type of loss, and you can view that post here.
I hope you might find such scientific information to be of some help in your work as well as in your personal life. (your mother might also like to know of these if she doesn't already)
Again, on behalf of us all, thanks, Loren, for answering so comprehensively, best of luck on your study, and if you ever have any good news to share about either your study results &/or shifts in atti*tudes/thinking due to any of the above, please do come back and share that with all of us. Those of us here need all the good news we can get! And were I able to take part in your study, I'd now be honoured.
Thanks so much for coming back to address my questions! Very good of you.
And even though this isn't why you came here, please accept my sincere sympathy for your OWN personal losses as well, no matter when they were. I also share in the same "disdain" you felt whenever my losses aren't recognized as valid....and frankly, for me, unfortunately, this has extended even into human loss...but those still weren't as painful as those of my fur-kids'.
I can understand why the study limits it to the (arbitrary) first year. One fine day, though, I sincerely wish someone would do a study that targets something like 2-5 years after the fact. I rather think that might lend even more weight to the emotional importance and impact of our animal companions/children in our lives, and thereby also help elevate their perceived status in the world. Something to keep in mind, perhaps....
I've actually participated in at least 2 other studies like this, one dealing with human loss, the other with animal loss, but both imposed the same time limit. One other animal loss study I declined to finish as I found too many of the questions rather condescending to animals and to our sometimes massive relationships with them. I did tell the study's researcher my impressions of that, though.
I was most pleasantly surprised and most grateful to hear about your (and your mother's!) perspectives and convictions about animal research and I, and I'm sure many others here, thank you heartily for that! It was a real breath of fresh air, as it's been my experience that many psychologists, clinical or otherwise, might say they "love" animals, but their REAL atti*tudes become apparent in later conversation and by the way they, themselves, treat their OWN animal companions.....often still lower than any human family member. That's also why it's so difficult for many of us to even FIND good therapists for our grief; nothing simpatico there to work with!
QUOTE
Perhaps this type of loss is not recognized sometimes as a legitimate cause for mourning in our society, because the loss is viewed to be of "just an animal."
I, personally, wouldn't even say "perhaps" or "sometimes", frankly.....but "definitely" and "more often than not", judging by OUR collective experiences here and on most other animal grief forum sites. And if you know anything of Marty (Martha) Tousley's work (in AZ) with 'pet' bereavement, I'm sure she would agree. This DOES have to change, lest we create even more emotionally unhealthy people, and therefore reactions and actions, in society and the world at large, including as an after-effect to one's loss. Such lack of compassion from society certainly does NOT make it any easier for us to be/remain/become decent, nor more evolved, human beings! QUOTE
The overarching goal of my research is to raise awareness of the fact that the loss of a beloved animal is very distressful, does result in grief (and very intense grief for some people) and that it should be recognized and certaintly not minimized. I want to be sure that clinical psycholgists are sensitive to this issue.
A very laudable goal and another heartfelt "thank-you" from me for that, too! And you can lump me in the second category of "very intense". And since you'd like to make a definitive impact in this field, I'd also like to direct you to something SCIENTIFIC I'd just posted here, that may actually help you in your endeavors to effect that sensitivity in your future or present colleagues. It was from Dr. Bruce Lipton's work, "The Biology of Belief", and since Dr. Lipton is a cellular biologist, I would hope that what he and the other scientists he's quoted have said might carry more perceived weight with others in similar or related circles. (not that anything IS unrelated to everything else, mind you) You can access this material here.
In a similar vein, I'd also posted information on how the chemicals released in our bodies has been shown to be the SAME, no matter the type of loss, and you can view that post here.
I hope you might find such scientific information to be of some help in your work as well as in your personal life. (your mother might also like to know of these if she doesn't already)
Again, on behalf of us all, thanks, Loren, for answering so comprehensively, best of luck on your study, and if you ever have any good news to share about either your study results &/or shifts in atti*tudes/thinking due to any of the above, please do come back and share that with all of us. Those of us here need all the good news we can get! And were I able to take part in your study, I'd now be honoured.
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