Our aims in this chapter are to summarize Bowlby's theoretical contributions to the study of bereavement and review recent research and controversies concerning attachment theory and loss. We begin with a broad review of Bowlby's key ideas, as expressed in his trilogy, Attachment and Loss. We discuss Bowlby's ideas on the function and course of mourning, and review theory and research on patterns of 'disordered' mourning. Next, we discuss recent controversies that question two of Bowlby's important claims: his claim that the suppression of grief has negative consequences (Bonanno, Keltner, Holen, & Horowitz, 1995; M. Stroebe, 1992; M. Stroebe & W. Stroebe, 1991; Wortman & Silver, 1989) and Bowlby's purported claim that recovery from loss entails arriving at a state of 'detachment' (Klass, Silverman, & Nickman, 1996).

This summary was copied (with permission) from the following website:
Adult Attachment Lab, University of California at Davis