Grief, Complicated Grief, and Trauma: The Role of the Search for Meaning, Impaired Self-Reference, and Death Anxiety

The present research examines the strength of terror management theory in an indigenous Indian context of religious fair called Magh Mela. It explores how elderly Hindu people deal with death anxiety through practicing Kalpvas in Magh Mela. The research explores the role of social detachment and self-esteem in coping with terror of death. Study 1, a field experiment on 150 Kalpvasis (practitioners of Kalpvas) confirms the significant role of social detachment as an adaptive strategy for coping with death terror. The role of self-esteem did not emerge in the study. Study 2, another field experiment on 62 Kalpvasis confirms results of study 1. Significant role of years of Kalpvas on fear of death shows importance of the religious practices in managing terror related to death. The relation of terror management theory and death anxiety thus follows a different explanation for more indigenous contexts.

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Experiences of participation in bereavement groups from significant others’ perspectives; A qualitative study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-16070/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ulla Näppä ◽

Kerstin Björkman Randström

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Symptom Control ◽

Complicated Grief ◽

Significant Others ◽

Care Team ◽

Control Synthesis ◽

Bereavement Support ◽

Loved One ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: When death ends a life, the impact of caring for person who suffered a period of illness or disease continues for significant others who are left to grieve. They should be offered support to avoid complicated grief. This can be provided in different ways and individually or in groups. This study aims to describe significant others’ experiences of participation in bereavement groups. Methods: Ten bereavement groups that each met five times offered support for the significant others of deceased loved ones who had been cared for by a palliative-care team. After the five meetings, the grieving members (n=46) completed written comments about the role of the groups; they also commented one year after participating (n=39). Comments were analyzed with qualitative content analysis with a directed approach using the theory of a good death according to the 6S’s: self-image, self-determination, social relationships, symptom control, synthesis and summation, and surrender. Results: Bereavement groups were found to be a source for alleviating grief for some significant others, but not all experienced relief. Moreover, grief was found to persist during participation. Another finding involved the impact of the role of the palliative home-care team on bereavement support. To evaluate the experience of participating in a bereavement group, the use the 6S’s as a model was a strength of the analysis. Bereavement groups could enhance the self and offer relief from grief. Participation was described as social relationships that offered a sense of coherence and understanding in grief. The effects of participation were more meaningful close to the loss and could lose efficacy over time. Bereavement support provided before a loved one’s death was seen as valuable.Conclusion: Overall, the bereavement groups eased the grief of significant others close to the death of their loved one. However, moving forward, several of the significant others were not sure that their participation eased their grief. To identify persons who may remain in a state of complicated grief, a routine of planned contacts with the bereaved should begin before death and be followed up later than six months after the death of a loved one.

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Grief, photography and meaning making: A psychological constructivist approach

Culture & Psychology ◽

10.1177/1354067x211015416 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1354067X2110154

Author(s):

Belén Jiménez-Alonso ◽

Ignacio Brescó de Luna

Keyword(s):

Meaning Making ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Continuing Bonds ◽

Constructivist Approach ◽

Search For Meaning ◽

Therapeutic Tool ◽

Study Case ◽

Social Constructivist Approach

This article examines the value of using photography as both a methodological and therapeutic tool for the construction – and study – of meanings after a death-related loss. A study case, consisting of narratives of mourning elicited through a personal photo diary and a follow-up interview, will be analysed in light of five key advantages of using photography to study grief experiences according to a social constructivist approach. These advantages are (1) agency in the search for meaning; (2) the role of photography as a tool for scaffolding narratives of loss; (3) the role of photography in preserving the continuing bonds with the deceased; (4) the role of photography as technology of the self for emotional self-regulation and (5) photography as a process in the reviewing of the contextualised experience.

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The role of temperament in posttraumatic growth following death of a loved one

Polish Psychological Bulletin ◽

10.2478/ppb-2014-0043 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 357-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nina Ogińska-Bulik

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Growth ◽

Significant Role ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Close Friend ◽

Loved One ◽

Posttraumatic Growth Inventory

Abstract The study investigates the role of temperament in posttraumatic growth among people who experienced a death of someone close. A group of 74 participants - mostly women (63.5%), aged 21 to 74 years (M=38.4; SD=15.5), who lost a parent, a child, a spouse or a partner, a sibling or a very close friend completed questionnaires measuring levels of posttraumatic growth (the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) and temperamental traits (the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour - Temperament Inventory). Results revealed that increased appreciation of life and improved relations to others are the most prevalent areas of posttraumatic growth. Findings suggest that such temperamental traits, as emotional reactivity, and to a lesser extent briskness and endurance play significant role in posttraumatic growth.

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Experiences of participation in bereavement groups from significant others’ perspectives: A qualitative study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-16070/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ulla Näppä ◽

Kerstin Björkman Randström

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Symptom Control ◽

Complicated Grief ◽

Significant Others ◽

Care Team ◽

Control Synthesis ◽

Bereavement Support ◽

Loved One ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: When death ends a life, the impact of caring for person who suffered a period of illness or disease continues for significant others who are left to grieve. They should be offered support to avoid complicated grief. This can be provided in different ways and individually or in groups. This study aims to describe significant others’ experiences of participation in bereavement groups. Methods: Ten bereavement groups that each met five times offered support for the significant others of deceased loved ones who had been cared for by a palliative-care team. After the five meetings, the grieving members (n=46) completed written comments about the role of the groups; they also commented one year after participating (n=39). Comments were analyzed with qualitative content analysis with a directed approach using the theory of a good death according to the 6S’s: self-image, self-determination, social relationships, symptom control, synthesis and summation, and surrender. Results: Bereavement groups were found to be a source for alleviating grief for some significant others, but not all experienced relief. Moreover, grief was found to persist during participation. Another finding involved the impact of the role of the palliative home-care team on bereavement support. To evaluate the experience of participating in a bereavement group, the use the 6S’s as a model was a strength of the analysis. Bereavement groups could enhance the self and offer relief from grief. Participation was described as social relationships that offered a sense of coherence and understanding in grief. The effects of participation were more meaningful close to the loss and could lose efficacy over time. Bereavement support provided before a loved one’s death was seen as valuable.Conclusion: Overall, the bereavement groups eased the grief of significant others close to the death of their loved one. However, moving forward, several of the significant others were not sure that their participation eased their grief. To identify persons who may remain in a state of complicated grief, a routine of planned contacts with the bereaved should begin before death and be followed up later than six months after the death of a loved one.

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Experiences of participation in bereavement groups from significant others’ perspectives

10.21203/rs.3.rs-16070/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ulla Näppä ◽

Kerstin Björkman Randström

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Symptom Control ◽

Complicated Grief ◽

Significant Others ◽

Care Team ◽

Control Synthesis ◽

Bereavement Support ◽

Loved One ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background When death ends a life, the impact of caring for person who suffered a period of illness or disease continues for significant others who are left to grieve. They should be offered support to avoid complicated grief. This can be provided in different ways and individually or in groups. This study aims to describe significant others’ experiences of participation in bereavement groups. Methods Ten bereavement groups that each met five times offered support for the significant others of deceased loved ones who had been cared for by a palliative-care team. After the five meetings, the grieving members completed written comments about the role of the groups; they also commented one year after participating. Comments were analyzed qualitatively using the theory of a good death according to the 6S’s: self-image, self-determination, social relationships, symptom control, synthesis and summation, and surrender. Results Bereavement groups were found to be a source for alleviating grief for some significant others, but not all experienced relief. Moreover, grief was found to persist during participation. Another finding involved the impact of the role of the palliative home-care team on bereavement support. To evaluate the experience of participating in a bereavement group, the use the 6S’s as a model was a strength of the analysis. Bereavement groups could enhance the self and offer relief from grief. Participation was described as social relationships that offered a sense of coherence and understanding in grief. The effects of participation were more meaningful close to the loss and could lose efficacy over time. Bereavement support provided before a loved one’s death was seen as valuable. Conclusion Overall, the bereavement groups eased the grief of significant others close to the death of their loved one. However, moving forward, several of the significant others were not sure that their participation eased their grief. To identify persons who may remain in a state of complicated grief, a routine of planned contacts with the bereaved should begin before death and be followed up later than six months after the death of a loved one.

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