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.
Grief Processing and Deliberate Grief Avoidance: A Prospective Comparison of Bereaved Spouses and Parents in the United States and the People’s Republic of China
Authors:
Bonanno, George A.
Papa, Anthony
Lalande, Kathleen
Zhang, Nanping
Noll, Jennie G.
Source:
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology: 2005, 73(1), pp. 86-98.
Summary
This article describes a study that examined the relationship between grief processing and deliberate grief avoidance on adjustment to the death of a child or spouse. The study included participants from both the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The participants completed questionnaires measuring grief processing and deliberate grief avoidance, as well as bereavement distress and perceived health, at 4 months and 18 months post-loss. The authors sought to determine whether intensive grief processing aids in adjustment to a death, or exacerbates distress. The authors also sought to compare grieving patterns of American and Chinese participants. The results indicated that the Chinese participants experienced greater distress compared to American participants at 4 months post-loss, but that they had lower levels of distress at 18 months post-loss. The results also indicated that for the American participants, initial grief processing predicted higher levels of distress and poorer health at 18 months post-loss, while for the Chinese participants, initial levels of grief processing did not predict higher levels of distress or poorer health at 18 months post-loss.
Key Words: avoidance, processing, China, culture
Service Provider Implications
This study highlights differing views regarding the benefits of processing grief following the death of a spouse or child. The authors suggest that it may not be beneficial for some bereaved individuals to focus on processing their loss. The authors acknowledge that this recommendation is contrary to the traditional assumptions of the value of grief work, and suggest that further research, including investigation of cultural influences, is needed.
