A grieving patient tells a nurse, "It's been eight months since my spouse died. I thought I would feel better by now, but lately I feel worse. I have no energy. I am lonely, but I don't want to be around people. What should I do?" What is the nurse's best counsel?

A) Seek psychotherapy.
B) Become active in a church.
C) Go to the spouse's grave every day.
D) Understand this is a normal response.

The patient needs understanding and support that the feelings are normal. Although feelings of depression generally decline over the period of a year after the death of a loved one, the decline is not linear. Loneliness and aimlessness are most pronounced 6 to 9 months after the death. The patient should be educated about normal phenomena experienced during bereavement. The other options are not clearly indicated.