Virtual Mourning

How Filipinos Utilize Facebook to Express Grief and Seek Support – A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Datos Bibliográficos

ID13628869
AutoresMarc Kenneth F Cabañero (0009-0003-6664-4677, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines, autor de correspondencia), Ma Teresa Tricia Guison-Bautista (Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines)
Año2025
Páginas302228251331343-302228251331343
Fecha de publicación2025-04-16
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00302228251331343
PMID40240890
OpenAlexW4409560003
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas35

This study explores how grieving Filipinos use Facebook to cope with loss and seek support, integrating traditional mourning practices with digital expressions of grief. Despite the growing role of social media in bereavement, research on digital mourning in collectivist cultures remains limited. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten bereaved Filipinos to examine their online grieving experiences. Thematic analysis identified three key themes: the blending of traditional mourning rituals with Facebook for emotional support, the validation and relief provided by online interactions, and the role of digital mourning in fostering healing. Findings suggest that social media enhances Filipino bereavement practices by strengthening community connections and preserving cultural traditions. The study emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive digital spaces and grief support services that integrate both online and offline mourning. It calls for further research on the intersection of grief, culture, and social media in non-Western contexts

Collectivism · Digital media · Grief · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Social media · Social science · Social support · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Computer Science · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Social Psychology