MEANING CONSTRUCTS AS PREDICTORS OF BEREAVEMENT ADJUSTMENT: A REPORT FROM THE SCOTT & WHITE GRIEF STUDY

Abstract

Nine unique meaning constructs were derived from a content analysis of free essays written by 85 mourners in response to the question, “What does the death of your loved one mean to you?” These constructs were then treated as predictor variables in a quantitative analysis of several indices of bereavement adjustment including (a) risk factors of grief pathogenesis and psychometric measures of negative grief affect and (b) indicators and correlates of personal growth. Mourners who expressed one or more constructs connoting positive themes of hope and recovery in their narrative essays fared better on several indicators of bereavement adjustment than those expressing solely themes of pain and suffering. As a single meaning category, Focusing on Negativity carried the strongest statistical relation to outcome measures and correlated with poorer adjustment. Implications for combining qualitative and quantitative data are discussed together with potential applications to clinical practice.

This article is dedicated in honor of Linda S. Stirman, faithful friend and research coordinator for 10 years of the Scott & White Grief Study, who died September 11, 2003.

Notes

Note. GEI = Grief Experience Inventory; HGRC = Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist; INSPIRIT = Index of Core Spiritual Experiences.

^aPercentiles show ranking only within this sample of 85 participants.