Bereavement is one of the most painful experiences in one’s life, and guilt is one of the various emotions associated with it. Guilt is widely reported by bereaved people, but it is not yet sufficiently understood by researchers. There is a lack of convergence in conceptualizing guilt, and no valid measurement exists to assess this important construct in grief. Meanwhile, this emotion is particularly significant in Chinese adult given the cultural value of filial piety. Therefore, this thesis aims to fill this gap and enhance understanding of the nature and consequences of bereavement guilt in Chinese adult children. This sequential mixed method research comprises three parts. To better define and conceptualize bereavement guilt, 16 bereaved adult children were interviewed in the first study about their subjective experience of guilt. Their narratives illustrated the content and feelings of bereavement guilt. It suggested that guilt was based on various evaluations of their behaviors, which failed to meet their inner standards or expectations. It also revealed that they felt guilt for contributing to the death, for hurting the deceased, and for not paying enough back to the parent. Those thoughts were evidently accompanied by distressful feelings. In study two, the Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS) was developed based on findings in study one. It was then validated with survey data collected from 873 bereaved adult children. The scale comprises five factors: (1) responsibility towards the death, (2) hurting the deceased, (3) survivor guilt, (4) indebtedness guilt and (5) guilt feelings. It was proved to have good dimensionality and construct validity, satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Study three aimed to build the model for bereavement guilt, exploring its prevalence, predictors and relationship with complicated grief. The same data set in study two was analyzed and the results revealed various occurrence rates for different subtypes of bereavement guilt. The most common type is indebtedness guilt (81%), followed by guilt feelings (70%), responsibility for the death (37%), survivor guilt (27%) and guilt about hurting the deceased (23%). It was also revealed that guilt is more commonly experienced by people bereaved from unnatural death than natural death. Investigating a group of demographic and death-related variables simultaneously, this study found that different types of guilt have distinct predictors, but that three risk factors predicted most of them. These are the adult children being of a younger age, losing a mother, and low psychological preparation for the death. Finally, a strong association between guilt and complicated grief was established by the data. The relationship between complicated grief and guilt was stronger than with demographic variables, death-related variables, depression and anxiety. Such association remains significant even when controlling for these variables. This thesis proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of bereavement guilt and has developed a valid measurement tool. It builds a preliminary model of risk factors, bereavement guilt and health outcomes in bereavement. The implications and limitations are also discussed. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The incidence of increased life span as well as a lack of care for older persons, gave rise to the South African Older persons Act (Act No 13 of 2006), which guides society in how our older persons should be treated. This Act also provides a clear indication of the expectations of caring for older persons within communities and families. Many older persons people rely on the relationships they have with their children in their golden years, to be fulfilling and loving. This study therefore aimed to explore the experiences of older persons and their adult children on maintaining positive relationships in order for the relationship to be most beneficial for both older persons and their adult children. The quality of relationships between adult children and older persons according to Newby (2010) can ease participation of adult children in the lives of older persons. This study was conducted from a qualitative research perspective that is exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature. The exploratory-descriptive design allowed the researcher to understand the topic by using a narrative strategy of inquiry. A non-probability purposive sampling method was applied to identify five older persons as well as the adult children of these older persons who are retirees of an automotive company in South Africa. Individual, semi-structured face to face interviews were conducted with older persons as well as with at least one of their adult children who did not reside with them. Thematic data analysis technique was used to analyse the data collected. The study is viewed as significant in enhancing the understanding of satisfying and caring relationships between older persons and their adult children in order to add to the body of existing knowledge in social gerontology and to improve direct social work practice with older persons.

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe female adult children's experiences when they return to the parental home to live, and to develop theory to explain the processes and consequences involved in the return to the parental home. Primary data sources included 1 1/2 hour audiotaped, semi-structured interviews with 15 female adult children who had returned to the parental home to live. Other sources of data included individual and conjoint interviews with parents and daughters from a subset of four families, and field notes about the interviews. Grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1990, 1998) was used. Transcribed interviews were systematically analyzed to develop a theoretical model, in which the core social and psychological process was labelled "regrouping." In response to life events and personal choices, women return to the parental home to regroup--to recuperate, reenergize, contemplate and pursue lifeplans. Their intention is to enhance personal well-being and to secure a better quality life in the future. Regrouping is embedded in the life context of female adult children's specific life-events and choices, living environments, family and social relationships, and sociocultural scripts -- all conditions that can hinder or facilitate the process. Regrouping is a cyclical rather than a linear process. Female adult children who had returned to the parental home did not experience a simple, uncomplicated linear forward movement towards attaining valued personal goals. Rather, they experienced an oscillating pattern of “faltering” and "advancing" in their efforts to realize valued goals. This experience has implications for the development of a fluctuating sense of self or self-image, the fulfilment of personal goals, the quality of the experience as positive or negative, and for family relations. The contribution of the theoretical model to the literature is the discovery that returning home in adulthood may be a strategy for managing change and transition in one's life and for attaining certain lifespan development tasks (e.g., individuating from parents, establishing a career, and attaining financial security). Implications for counselling practice, and the self-help needs of adults who have returned home to live are noted. Suggestions for facilitating returning adult children's personal development (i.e., clarifying personal goals, weighing the pros and cons of returning and remaining at the parental home, maintaining self-esteem, seeking social support) and facilitating family relations . (i.e, having realistic expectations of parents, being sensitive to mothers, negotiating privacy and boundaries, managing cross-cultural dynamics) are discussed. It is suggested that future research extend the application of the theory to men, as well as more diverse ethnic groups.

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe female adult children's experiences when they return to the parental home to live, and to develop theory to explain the processes and consequences involved in the return to the parental home. Primary data sources included 1 1/2 hour audiotaped, semi-structured interviews with 15 female adult children who had returned to the parental home to live. Other sources of data included individual and conjoint interviews with parents and daughters from a subset of four families, and field notes about the interviews. Grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1990, 1998) was used. Transcribed interviews were systematically analyzed to develop a theoretical model, in which the core social and psychological process was labelled "regrouping." In response to life events and personal choices, women return to the parental home to regroup--to recuperate, reenergize, contemplate and pursue lifeplans. Their intention is to enhance personal well-being and to secure a better quality life in the future. Regrouping is embedded in the life context of female adult children's specific life-events and choices, living environments, family and social relationships, and sociocultural scripts -- all conditions that can hinder or facilitate the process. Regrouping is a cyclical rather than a linear process. Female adult children who had returned to the parental home did not experience a simple, uncomplicated linear forward movement towards attaining valued personal goals. Rather, they experienced an oscillating pattern of “faltering” and "advancing" in their efforts to realize valued goals. This experience has implications for the development of a fluctuating sense of self or self-image, the fulfilment of personal goals, the quality of the experience as positive or negative, and for family relations. The contribution of the theoretical model to the literature is the discovery that returning home in adulthood may be a strategy for managing change and transition in one's life and for attaining certain lifespan development tasks (e.g., individuating from parents, establishing a career, and attaining financial security). Implications for counselling practice, and the self-help needs of adults who have returned home to live are noted. Suggestions for facilitating returning adult children's personal development (i.e., clarifying personal goals, weighing the pros and cons of returning and remaining at the parental home, maintaining self-esteem, seeking social support) and facilitating family relations . (i.e, having realistic expectations of parents, being sensitive to mothers, negotiating privacy and boundaries, managing cross-cultural dynamics) are discussed. It is suggested that future research extend the application of the theory to men, as well as more diverse ethnic groups. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate