Gender differences in grief and growth

An international gender-matched controlled study from Belgium, Canada, and Spain

Bibliographic Data

ID12097166
AuthorsJacques Cherblanc (0000-0001-8118-5868, Département des sciences humaines et sociales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), corresponding author), Isabelle Côté (0000-0002-0502-148X, Département des sciences humaines et sociales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)), Emmanuelle Zech (0000-0002-7607-7042, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain)), Manuel Fernández-Alcántara (0000-0002-3481-8156, University of Alicante), Sébastien Gaboury (0000-0001-7749-3470, Département d’informatique et de mathématique, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)), Christiane Bergeron‐leclerc (0000-0001-6686-2082, Département des sciences humaines et sociales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)), Camille Boever (0000-0003-1798-5638, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain)), Andrea Redondo-Armenteros (0000-0001-8255-3239, Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment. Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada), Francisco Cruz‐Quintana (0000-0001-9805-5939, Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment. Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada), María Nieves Pérez‐Marfil (0000-0001-6329-8770, Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment. Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada)
Year2025
Pages1-14
Publication date2025-09-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDeath Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0748-1187 • E-ISSN: 1091-7683
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/07481187.2025.2566083
PMID41026683
OpenAlexW4414649431
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited76

The grieving process exhibits significant variability influenced by cultural and gender factors. Inconsistencies in gender and cultural differences may be explained by the overrepresentation of bereaved women in the samples. This study explores gender differences in grief and post-traumatic growth (PTG) across Belgium, Canada, and Spain. Utilizing a gender-matched controlled design, the study analyzed data from 244 men and 244 women. Each man was matched with a woman based on kinship with the deceased, delay since loss, and country. Participants completed the Traumatic Grief Inventory-Self Report and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form. Results indicate that men reported significantly lower levels of grief symptoms and PTG compared to women, consistently across all three countries. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research suggesting that men exhibit more instrumental and avoidant grieving styles while women display more intuitive and expressive responses, and how results may be biased by self-report measures and recruitment

Complicated grief · Disenfranchised grief · Grief · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal relationship · Kinship · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Migration, Health and Trauma