Hope, Loneliness and Sense of Coherence among Bereaved Parents

Abstract

Coping with the loss of a child is a challenging and difficult experience that disrupts the lives of the surviving parents and the fabric of the family. Our goal is to identify the factors that help bereaved parents cope with this loss and introduce hope and future perspectives into their lives. Our sample consisted of 81 parents (30 fathers and 51 mothers), who completed questionnaires on the following topics: family climate, loneliness, sense of coherence and hope. In addition, interviews were conducted with six parents to further clarify the quantitative results. A moderated mediation model revealed that increased levels of loneliness among the parents predicted lower levels of hope. However, their emotional resources in terms of their sense of coherence mediated this relationship. In addition, the number of years since the loss moderated the negative relationship between loneliness and the parents’ emotional resources. It can be concluded that the negative impact of loneliness on parents’ sense of coherence declined over time. The interviews conducted extend the understanding of these results, as parents described their ability to continue with their lives and identified their goals in terms of the hope theory, alongside their ongoing pain. Finally, the therapeutic implications of the results we obtained are discussed.

Perceived social support, loneliness, and hope during the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Testing a mediating model in the UK, USA, and Israel

“…Various studies have documented the relations between hope and loneliness. In a recent study on bereaved parents, increased levels of loneliness predicted lower levels of hope (Einav & Margalit, 2020). In another study, both hope and loneliness were found to mediate the effect of stress on subjective vitality (Satici, 2020).…”

Stress appraisal as a mediator between the sense of coherence and the frequency of stress coping strategies in women and men duringCOVID‐19 lockdown

“…A stronger SOC is associated with a better perception of one's own health, especially in the mental area (Eriksson & Lindström, 2006 ). It is the personal resilience component that enables the continuation of activity, the identification of goals, and the progression towards achievement (Einav & Margalit, 2020 ). Individuals with a high sense of coherence are able to evaluate the world around them accurately (comprehensibility); are aware that their actions are worth the work and effort they expend (meaningfulness); and actively cope with stressors and remain confident that they have adequate resources to manage them (manageability) (Antonovsky, 1987).…”

Order out of chaos: Sense of coherence and the mediating role of coping resources in explaining mental health during COVID-19 in 7 countries

“…This is what distinguishes between people with a stronger and weaker SOC. The former will search hard for those coping resources which are potentially available to him or her; the latter are more likely to give up ( Einav & Margalit, 2020 ; Sagy, 1994 ).…”