The experience of grief for surviving friends
The expanding body of literature in the field of bereavement has predominantly focused on the grief reactions of family members. The role of "bereaved", with its attendant grieving rights, has almost exclusively been accorded to the spouse and kin of the deceased. Despite the intimacy...
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2009
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4453 |
| Summary: | The expanding body of literature in the field of bereavement has
predominantly focused on the grief reactions of family members. The
role of "bereaved", with its attendant grieving rights, has almost
exclusively been accorded to the spouse and kin of the deceased.
Despite the intimacy of the relationship often shared between the
surviving close friend and the deceased, minimal research exists
defining the experience of grief for these bereaved. Little is known
about the meaning the bereaved friend bestows on his or her experience
of grief.
The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of grief
in surviving friends. A phenomenological study based on unstructured
interviews was undertaken to explore this experience with four adult
women who have survived the death of a close friend. By making
explicit the meanings implicit in their experience of grief, the
meaning structure containing the essential elements of the phenomenon
of grief for these bereaved friends was clarified . Ten elements or
themes common to the experience of grief for all informants were
illuminated and described. Implications for research and practice
were also discussed. |
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