**Abstract**

Looking back into history, infectious diseases played an important role in human history being responsible, in terms of pathologies, for more deaths than any other disease. Considering that infectious diseases have a high rate of transmissibility, with an acute debut and sometimes with a fast evolution to exitus, the impact of the news on families of the departed patient diagnosed with an infectious disease can come as a shock. Processing the unexpected death of a family member needs not only the implication of the physician but also the counseling of a specialized psychologist which can help the families through all stages of loss and grief.

**Keywords:** infectious disease, death, shock, loss, grief, mourning

#### **1. Introduction**

Mourning is the emotional response to loss. The mental suffering caused by mourning has emotional, physical, behavioral, social and spiritual consequences [1]. Suffering may manifest differently depending on each person's personality, family values, culture and religious belief [2].

In medical practice, 2 types of mourning are often present which include the anticipatory mourning, occurring when a dear person is suffering from an incurable disease and the mourning associated with personal experience.

Mourning is influenced by age and gender and it is a known fact that women are more vulnerable to loss, due to the level of anxiety and insecurity of attachment ties. Also, the elderly are the most vulnerable in experiencing the mourning to the extent that it reminds them of an expected denouement. In association with age and gender, personality traits such as the level of emotional control and regulation, frustration resistance, traits of optimism and resilience, are important mediation factors of mourning [3].

Identifying the meaning of loss and finding a new meaning in life remains the main challenge for all mourning people. The coping mechanism of the person facing a loss is the recovery process that will allow the continuation of a normal life in the absence of the loved one [4].
