The Kubler-Ross stage theory is one of the popular models that explain the process of grieving. The stage theory postulates that grieving individuals go through a series of stages, each characterized by distinct features. According to the proponents, people mostly respond to bereavement through shock, disbelief, and numbness (Kastenbaum, 2015). In this sense, the theory conceptualizes the process as being similar among all individuals that have lost their loved ones. At the final phase, bereaved people undergo a balance between their physical and mental statuses (Kastenbaum, 2015). Significantly, the model conceives this stage as a point whereby individuals learn to move on with life by returning to their former physical and psychological well-being.
While all the proponents of the Kubler-Ross theory agree that the grieving process comprises stages, they differ on the exact nature and number of the middle behavioral manifestations. Despite this divergence, these theorists believe that a majority of grieving people do not experience some of the middle phases of grieving due to the adoption of specific coping strategies (Kastenbaum, 2015). The implication brought out by this difference in grieving is the fact that environmental and socio-cultural factors mediate people’s reactions. For example, individuals who consider death as a passage to a new world may not undergo an intense grieving process. Overall, the theory underlines the existence of more than one phase during the grieving moment.
Like other stage theories, Kubler-Ross’s model has attracted criticism from some scholars. For instance, Maciejewsi, Zhang, Block, and Prigerson (2007) are critical of the lack of evidence to support the existence of the five phases. Moreover, they question the supposition that everyone is affected by the death of a loved one by undergoing through these phases of grieving (Kastenbaum, 2015). Despite these criticisms, I believe that the theory effectively captures the process of grieving. Most importantly, I am convinced that the majority of people experience the five stages of grief after losing someone through death. Undoubtedly, the death of a close family member or friend is a painful experience that takes a relatively long period to heal. For instance, many Christian parents will often wonder why God took the life of a young child. However, after the initial denial and anger, they pray for divine strength and ultimately accept death as God’s will. For this reason, I concur with the Kubler-Ross’s stage theory that the grief process entails denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.