The Effects of Bereavement Time on the Relationship Between Coping Strategies and Psychological Distress

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between bereaved individuals’ coping patterns, mental health, and time post-loss. A questionnaire using the Coping with Bereavement Scale (CBS) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) was completed by 173 family members of individuals who died from cancer between August 2013 and March 2016. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution for the CBS comprised of “life orientation,” “avoidance,” and “retaining ties” with the deceased. Scores on retaining ties were significantly but weakly correlated with K6 scores; however, the intensity of this relationship increased with more time post-bereavement, and individuals who retained strong ties with the deceased for two years or more demonstrated poorer mental health. Although retaining ties with the deceased might be an adaptive psychological process following bereavement, in this study, long-term persistence with that coping strategy was associated with greater overall psychological distress. Further research is needed to identify optimal coping methods to address evolving needs during the bereavement process.

Keywords:

• Coping
• family caregivers
• period after bereavement
• psychological distress
• retaining ties

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing.

Disclosure statement

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

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, TU. The data are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science under Grants 15A04108 and 18K03086.