Citation

Pritchard TR, Buckle JL. Death Stud. 2018; 42(1): 35-44.

Affiliation

Grenfell Campus , Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481187.2017.1334007

PMID

28541774

Abstract

This study explored meaning-making in the narratives of survivors of partner suicide. The 117 posts of 50 users of a public online grief support forum were analyzed using the Meaning of Loss Codebook (Gillies, Neimeyer, & Milman, 2014 ). There was evidence of substantial psychological distress and an ongoing struggle to make meaning of the death, in addition to focusing on memories, longing for the deceased, and efforts to actively cope with the loss. Given the importance of meaning-making in the adjustment to loss, and through the application of the MLC, these findings deepen the understanding of this component of grief.

Language: en

Keywords

meaning of loss codebook; meaning-making; online forum; spousal bereavement; suicide