Thesis (Ph. D.)--Yale University, 1997. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

M.A. / An investigation of existing research literature was undertaken to explore the experience of bereavement of parents whose child has died. The review comprises an overview of theoretical approaches to bereavement and the various factors which determine the grief experience. These include an examination of factors surrounding the loss, personal factors and coping skills, as well as an outline of familial, cultural and social aspects. A further focus of the review, is on the process of meaning making in the aftermath of a traumatic event, such as parental bereavement following on the loss of offspring. A particular focal point in this respect is the exploration of how the experience of parental bereavement motivates the search for meaning and the possible significance of this meaning in the continued life of the bereaved parent.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Arizona, 1990. / Photocopy of a typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

The present research study investigates the lived experience of Traumatic Bereavement in order to understand the impact such an experience of trauma and loss has on the bereaved person’s meaningmaking process. The study defined Traumatic Bereavement in a broad sense by including all deaths that were untimely, unexpected, sudden and unpreventable. Six traumatically bereaved women were interviewed, with Traumatic Bereavement experiences. These included heart attacks, a homicide, a road traffic accident and sudden death because of an undetected brain tumour. The data were analysed using a Descriptive Phenomenological approach – in particular Collaizi (1978) – and five main themes emerged. An exhaustive description of these themes was produced in order to capture the lived experience of Traumatic Bereavement. Firstly, the traumatically bereaved experiences an intense shock which is accompanied by a feeling that the mind is in a state of cognitive arrest, unable to comprehend the reality of the loss. Secondly, the bereaved experiences a profound loss of meaning about how to go on living in the face of such trauma and loss. This is characterised by anxiety, fear and a profound realisation that she is no longer safe in the world, as there is no world order. Thirdly, the bereaved experiences an Existential awakening about her human condition. This is characterised by the feeling that human existence is absurd and meaningless as death is unpredictable and random. Fourthly, the bereaved experiences the need for meaning. She finds meaning by re-evaluating her life, being mindful of what is important to her and prioritising relationships with significant others. Fifthly, the bereaved experiences a spiritual awakening that helps her continue living in a meaningful way. The findings illustrate that Traumatic Bereavement has a profound impact on the traumatically bereaved person’s meaning-making process, bringing to her attention the need to become mindful of life’s opportunity for meaning. It is the ability to engage authentically with the Existential Givens of life that enables the traumatically bereaved person to establish meaning. The study proposes an Existential-Phenomenological Counselling Psychology clinical model for therapeutic work with traumatically bereaved clients.

No description available.

D.Litt. et Phil. / Internationally, significant efforts have been made to understand complicated grief. However, the topic is not well covered in the South African psychological literature and much work remains to be done with regard to gaining insight into factors that contribute towards its development. To this end, the aim of the study was to explore the influence of context on bereavement to the extent that grief becomes complicated. The stance adopted is that bereavement and grief are experiences that cannot be dissociated from the context in which it occurs. From this point of view, bereavement and grief were construed as both personal and social experiences. Drawing on ecosystemic theory, this study focused on micro and macro contexts. As such, emphasis was on socio-environmental contexts, the family context and the personal context. Literature was surveyed so as to highlight the extent to which these contexts either heighten the risk of maladaptive reactions or served the purpose of ameliorating the impact of bereavement and grief. The literature review was also extended to incorporate an understanding of earlier linear stage and phase theories of grief. Similarly, contemporary conceptual models, which represent more complex multifaceted and integrative approaches, were included. While earlier theorists tended to attribute maladaptive grief to intra-individual pathology, contemporary approaches consider maladaptive grief responses as a function of the individuals’ inability to maintain a balance between the different dimensions of their post-bereavement lives. Methodologically, this study employed an exploratory research approach. Semi-structured interviews based on predetermined guide questions, were conducted with thirteen participants ranging in age from 25 to 45 years. Emphasis was placed on the loss of an attachment relationship, which included the death of a child, sibling, parent, spouse or live-in partner. Both natural and unnatural deaths were focused on. In an effort to control for gender as an external variable, all the participants were females. Responses to the predetermined guide questions were translated into categories. The frequency of responses within each category was calculated and presented as percentages. Categories in relation to the influence of the socio-environmental context on complicated grief translated into living environment risks and community support. Cognizance was also taken of how macro societal institutions and processes such as socio-economic factors, the political climate and societal attitudes, manifesting in medical attitudes shape the social and personal contexts in which bereavement is experienced and complicated grief is expressed. The influence of these macro institutions and processes filter through to the living environments and communities in which death occurred. Similarly, categories in relation to the influence of family context on complicated grief translated into family patterns of interaction and relationships, family emotional integration and family support. Categories reflecting the influence of the personal context on complicated grief were represented by making meaning of the death, the mode of death and the belief systems of the participants. The belief systems were addressed in terms of the participants’ religious and cultural beliefs. Being exploratory in nature, the study did not provide definitive answers with regard to the influence of context on complicated grief. However, it was possible to establish potential relationships between various dimensions of context and complicated grief. The study also highlighted the need for a theory of complicated grief, which embrace contextual influences. This is likely to lend support for situating the locus of complicated grief in the social context in which it occurs. The findings of this research support the idea that complicated grief is being influenced by the social context in which it occurs.