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.
Predictors of Grief Following the Death of One’s Child: The Contribution of Finding Meaning
Authors:
Keesee, Nancy J.
Currier, Joseph M.
Neimeyer, Robert A.
Source:
Journal of Clinical Psychology: 2008. Volume 64, Issue 10, pp. 1145-1163.
Summary
This study explored the impact on parental bereavement of factors such as nature of the death (violent or nonviolent), child’s age at time of death, and time since the loss. In addition, the researchers analyzed the parent’s ability to find meaning in the death. Ability to finding meaning in the death was based upon sense-making and benefit-finding. The authors concluded that while factors such as the nature of the death contributed to grief severity, the most significant predictor of a complicated grief outcome was the ability or inability to develop a sense of understanding of the loss. The findings showed that parents who found meaning in the death of the child experienced grief less intensely as compared to their peers who found little or no meaning in the death of their children.
Key words: benefit, child, meaning, sense
Service Provider Implications
Service providers should be aware that complicated grief reactions among parents who have experienced the death of a child may be more common when the parents have been unable to find meaning in the death. Being able to make sense of the loss, by developing an understanding of why the death occurred, can mediate against the development of severe, persistent grief.
