This booklet provides mental health professionals with an analytic framework for understanding psychosocial reactions to bereavement of adults and children and for selecting appropriate intervention strategies. It also identifies those people most likely to need the intervention of a mental health professional to help prevent or mitigate pathologic grief responses, and the symptoms that indicate a need for professional help. It begins with a section addressing the issue of whether or not grief is a disease. A section on adult reactions to bereavement looks at the phases of bereavement reactions and the end of the bereavement process. It identifies those who may be at risk following bereavement and points out some indications of a need for professional intervention. A section on bereavement and children examines children's fears, fantasies, and behavior and identifies children at risk for poor outcomes. A section on models of the bereavement process considers social support and sociocultural influences and offers cautions about the use of medications. Other sections discuss supportive interventions, community resources, and the impact of bereavement interventions. References are included; support group information is appended. (NB)