pt. 1. Theory, methodology, and ethical issues -- pt. 2. Consequences : the bereaved individual across the life span -- pt. 3. Consequences : the bereaved individual in social context -- pt. 4. Coping : basic concepts and their measurement -- pt. 5. Coping : exploration of the mechanisms -- pt. 6. Care : intervening in the coping process -- pt. 7. Retrospective on the new handbook : editorial view.