Masculine Responses to Loss: Clinical Implications

Gender differences in grieving are receiving growing attention. The prevalent view is that men often need help with their grieving. The bereaved male is frequently seen as impaired by an apparent inability both to express feelings and to seek social support. The authors present a pattern of grieving — masculine grief — contending that it is different, but not deficient. The use of the term “masculine” emphasises that the pattern is gender-related, not gender-specific. The authors identify the elements of masculine grief and furnish appropriate counselling interventions.