A tale of two widows: investigating meaning-making and identity development through writing in the face of grief

Elzen, Katrin Den; Lengelle, Reinekke

doi:10.1080/03069885.2022.2070126

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling

2022

DOI: 10.1080/03069885.2022.2070126

|View full text |Cite

A tale of two widows: investigating meaning-making and identity development through writing in the face of grief

Katrin Den Elzen

Reinekke Lengelle

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...

Citation Types

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Year Published

2023

2024

Publication Types

Select...

Article3

Relationship

Self Cite0

Independent3

Authors

Journals

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Either used by the own initiative of the bereaved, as part of low-threshold and/or specialized interventions, writing has proven to have therapeutic effects. The literature in psychology and the humanities provides solid support for the therapeutic effects writing can have when it enhances affective processing and meaning-making of grief, trauma, life transitions, and many other circumstances (Den Elzen et al, 2023; Den Elzen & Lengelle, 2023; Neimeyer, 1999; Pennebaker & Smyth, 2016; Steffen et al, 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Fathers in Norway Attending an Online Course on Therapeutic Writing After the Death of a Child

Lehmann,

Kalstad,

Neimeyer

2023

Qual Health Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

After the unexpected death of a child, bereaved parents require prompt access to helpful support systems. Online therapeutic writing courses can make such support accessible. Because few studies have included bereaved fathers as participants, we explored the experiences of fathers whose children died unexpectedly and who were part of an online course of therapeutic writing in Norway. We piloted two courses (group 1, six weeks, n = 9; group 2, 5 weeks, n = 5). We describe our methodological considerations for using poetic representations in qualitative health research and present four poetic representations based on fieldwork notes written by the principal investigator. Then, we triangulate and narratively analyze them together with two collective poems written by participants from each group; excerpts of the writings from two fathers, one per group; evaluation surveys ( n = 4; n = 3); and, anonymous check-out journaling from the second group ( n = 3). Resistance was a salient feature of our participants’ grief, and writing enabled them to both be in contact with their emotional world and process difficult emotions as they looked for meaning despite the death of their children. Those who attended the most classes perceived the course as transformative, being part of an ongoing self-exploration, and a possibility to continue and strengthen the bond with their children. Our findings mirror the complexities of the grief experiences of fathers, giving account of their need to find a rhythm to dive into their emotional world, the importance of peer support, and the value of diversifying intervention techniques to meet individual needs and preferences.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Fathers in Norway Attending an Online Course on Therapeutic Writing After the Death of a Child

Lehmann,

Kalstad,

Neimeyer

2023

Qual Health Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The LAST Letter: Creation of a Meaning-Making Tool Following the Death of a Loved One

Saunders

2023

Journal of Loss and Trauma

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Journey Towards a Meaningful Life: Adaptation and Resilience in the Lives of Young Hindu Widows

Lamba,

Longkoi

2024

Omega (Westport)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spousal death is a life-altering and traumatic life event in married life, compelling the surviving partner to transition and make substantial adjustments to their new life situation. Losing a spouse can affect individuals differently based on gender, impacting their psychological, social, and economic well-being. This article describes adaptation to a new life condition as widows strive to reconcile their roles, status, and identity while binding their resilience to direct their lives. This study explored the lives of 17 young Hindu widows in rural and semi-urban areas of Haryana, India. Using personal face-to-face interviews and purposive sampling, it captured their unique life stories. After losing their spouses, participants showed impressive resilience, reshaping their lives and identities. They navigated challenges firmly, emphasising personal commitment over social support for effective adaptation. It highlights a need for better support systems for widows, offering potential pathways to enhance their post-loss well-being.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

A tale of two widows: investigating meaning-making and identity development through writing in the face of grief

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

Experiences of Fathers in Norway Attending an Online Course on Therapeutic Writing After the Death of a Child

Experiences of Fathers in Norway Attending an Online Course on Therapeutic Writing After the Death of a Child

The LAST Letter: Creation of a Meaning-Making Tool Following the Death of a Loved One

Journey Towards a Meaningful Life: Adaptation and Resilience in the Lives of Young Hindu Widows

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About