The Deceased’s Wishes Framework: A Novel Intervention for Family Bereavement Support Based on Autoethnographic Analysis

Running head: DECEASED'S WISHES FRAMEWORKKhan Tahsin AbrarIndependent Researcher, [email protected]://orcid.org/0009-0009-4631-6768 AbstractThis study presents the Deceased's Wishes Framework (DWF), a novel bereavement intervention developed through autoethnographic analysis of a personal family crisis following paternal death. The framework systematically guides grieving families to consider what their deceased loved one would want for their continued well-being and functioning. Following the sudden death of the author's father (principal of Teachers Training College, Barishal, Bangladesh) from an undiagnosed heart attack on August 3, 2022, the author applied systematic "deceased wishes" thinking to maintain family stability while other members experienced severe grief complications. This approach prevented family dysfunction and maintained healthy grieving processes. The paper presents a detailed autoethnographic case study demonstrating the framework's effectiveness, followed by systematic development of intervention protocols and a comprehensive future research agenda addressing cultural, personality-based, and regional adaptations. The DWF represents a paradigm shift from reactive grief counseling toward proactive, prevention-focused family support that honors continuing bonds while maintaining functional outcomes. Implications for bereavement care, cultural adaptation, and implementation across diverse populations are discussed.Keywords: bereavement, family grief, continuing bonds, autoethnography, intervention development, deceased wishes, preventive mental healthIntroductionBereavement represents one of humanity’s most universal yet devastating experiences, with family systems frequently collapsing under the weight of sudden loss (Sandler et al., 2013). Current bereavement interventions typically adopt reactive approaches, addressing grief complications after they develop rather than preventing dysfunctional patterns from forming (Worden, 2018). This paper presents the Deceased’s Wishes Framework (DWF), a novel preventive intervention that emerged from autoethnographic analysis of successful family crisis management following sudden paternal death.