Descriptions of social support in treatment narratives of complicated grievers.
The authors performed a qualitative analysis of revisiting exercise narratives provided by 22 bereaved individuals undergoing complicated grief (CG) treatment. Revisiting entails telling the story of the death. Most participants described social interactions in the narratives, viewing others as helpful (n = 7), unhelpful (n = 7), or both (n = 6). Many noted the presence of helpful individuals, yet perceived helpfulness was not sufficient to protect against developing CG, and helpfulness was not associated with lower depressive, grief, or trauma symptoms. However, the absence, rudeness, or aggression of others distressed and angered grieving participants. Implications for the role of social support in CG are discussed.
Wilsey
Stephanie A
SA
School for Social Change, Carlow University, 3333 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. wilseysx@carlow.edu
Shear
M Katherine
MK
D000374:Aggression; D000786:Anger; D001601:Bereavement; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D033262:Narration; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States