Bereavement among Israeli parents who lost children in military service: Protective factors for coping with loss

Abstract

This study examined parental coping with grief and identified protective factors for better coping among parents who suffered the loss of a child during military service in Israel. Coping indicators included complicated grief, functioning in life tasks, succeeding in living meaningful lives, and personal growth. Participants were 164 parents who had lost children 5–16 years previously. We found strong associations between parents’ decision to continue life despite traumatic loss and several indicators of coping. Meaning-making was associated with better functioning and greater personal growth. Practitioners should explore with parents the internal struggles about deciding whether to continue in life.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mr. Arieh Moalem, Vice General Director of the Israel Ministry of Defense and Head of the Department of Families and Commemoration, and Eyal Levi, Director of the Jerusalem district of the Department of Families and Commemoration, for their support throughout the research process.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Israel Ministry of Defense, Department of Families and Commemoration.