Perceived Changes in Life Meaning following Bereavement

Bibliographic Data

ID13629586
AuthorsSarah Edmonds (Syracuse University, New York, corresponding author), Karen Hooker (0000-0001-7053-4620, Syracuse University, New York)
Year1992
Volume25
Issue4
Pages307-318
Publication date1992-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2190/te7q-5g45-bety-x1tt
OpenAlexW2021614091
LanguageEN
Citations received31
References cited21

Much research has documented the negative sequelae associated with death of a loved one. The goal of the present study was to investigate the possibility, alluded to by existential and humanistic theorists, that positive aspects of bereavement exist. College students who recently experienced the death of a close family member completed measures of grief-related distress, existential meaning, and answered open-ended questions regarding perceived changes in belief in God and life goals occurring as a result of their experience. A significant inverse relationship was found between grief and existential meaning. The majority of the sample reported a positive change in life goals, and these individuals had significantly higher existential meaning than those who reported a negative change in goals. Those who experienced change (positive or negative) in belief in God had higher levels of grief than those who reported no change. These results suggest that positive changes are associated with bereavement and that grief itself may serve as an impetus for personal growth

Developmental psychology · Distress · Epistemology · Existentialism · Grief · Humanism · Meaning (existential · Psychotherapist · Theology · Clinical Psychology · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

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