Worden’s tasks and mediators of mourning
Abstract
This article explores the Four Tasks of Mourning that are perhaps the best-known of J. William ("Bill") Worden's contributions to the field of thanatology. The article does so by setting the tasks in the context of Worden's distinction between grief and mourning, and by examining his choice of "tasks" as central to his theory. Following that, this article explores the evolution of the four tasks themselves and Worden's additional theory of mediators of mourning. Finally, we examine Worden's account of tasks and mediators of mourning for children.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Counseling
Therapy
and Family Dynamics
Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Death Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Pages
- 1–12
- Publication date
- 17 February 2026
- Language
- EN