The National Archive of Grief Support Studies
The National Archive of Grief Support Studies(NAGSS) database provides bibliographical information and summaries of recent articles selected for their relevance to grief and bereavement service providers. The articles that are summarized are selected from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and are intended to highlight key concepts as well as provide a brief statement of implications for service providers. Bibliographical information may be used to obtain the original article.
Parental Grief Responses and Personal Growth Following the Death of a Child
Authors:
Riley, Linda P.
LaMontagne, Lynda L.
Hepworth, Joseph T.
Murphy, Barbara A.
Source:
Death Studies: 2007. Volume 31, pp. 277-299.
Summary
The authors studied the relationship between bereaved mothers’ optimism, coping skills and perceived social support and the intensity of their grief reactions. Thirty-five bereaved mothers, who were recruited from Compassionate Friends support group meetings and an ad placed in the monthly newsletter, answered questions on seven different instruments. A strong negative relationship between optimism and grief response as well as complicated grief was found; mothers who were optimistic experienced less intense grief. Similarly, women who employed active coping skills did not experience their grief as intensely as women who were passive; however, active coping skills did not decrease the likelihood of complicated grief. Bereaved mothers who sought and received social support experienced less intense grief and were less likely to experience symptoms related to complicated grief. The research also found that mothers with active coping skills, the ability to positively reframe a situation, and perception of social support, experienced personal growth following the death of their children.
Key words: child, complicated, growth, parent, prolonged, trauma
Service Provider Implications
This research validates the use of interventions that facilitate cognitive flexibility and reframing ability, as they help the bereaved individual adjust to the loss of a loved one with less intense grief. Additionally, helping clients to utilize social support may assist in the adjustment to loss.
