Citation

Black J, Belicki K, Emberley-Ralph J, McCann A. Death Stud. 2022; 46(2): 399-414.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481187.2020.1737274

PMID

32175829

Abstract

This research investigated the predictors of internalized versus externalized continuing bonds to examine whether internalized bonds are more associated with adaptive adjustment to bereavement than externalized. Four studies were conducted: two of romantic partner loss (n = 268 & 218), one of dog or cat loss (n = 199), and one of prenatal loss (n = 226). Participants completed questionnaires online. As predicted, the use of internalized continuing bonds was related to indicators of positive adaptation to grief (e.g. more secure attachment to deceased) while externalized was more strongly associated with indicators of clinical distress (e.g. greater trauma symptomatology).

Language: en