Research on dying, death, and bereavement. The international point of view

This article reviews worldwide research in the field of dying, death, and bereavement. First, common ground between Thanatopsychology and other areas of psychology is outlined. The description of the Association of Death Education and Counseling on one hand and of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement on the other leads to an overview of international publications from 2000 through 2009 in Death Studies. This is followed by the description of major scientific topics in Belgium, China/Hong Kong, Greece, Great Britain/UK, Israel, Kuwait/Egypt, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States. In addition, cross-cultural results on attitudes toward dying and death in Germany and Hong Kong are provided. Finally, six trends in the future development of the field are stressed.