A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY COMPARING BEREAVEMENT PHENOMENA IN RECENTLY BEREAVED SPOUSES, ADULT CHILDREN AND PARENTS

Objective: The study investigated previous research findings and clini cal impressions which indicated that the intensity of grief for parent s who had lost a child was likely to be higher than that for widows/wi dowers, who in turn were likely to have more intense reactions than ad ult children losing a parent. Method: In order to compare the intensit ies of the bereavement reactions among representative community sample s of bereaved spouses (n = 44), adult children (n = 40) and parents (n = 36), and to follow the course of such phenomena, a detailed Bereave ment Questionnaire was administered at four time points over a 13-mont h period following the loss. Results: Measures based on items central to the construct of bereavement showed significant time and group diff erences in accordance with the proposed hypothesis. More global items associated with the construct of resolution showed a significant time effect, but without significant group differences. Conclusions: Eviden ce from this study supports the hypothesis that in non-clinical, commu nity-based populations the frequency with which core bereavement pheno mena are experienced is in the order: bereaved parents > bereaved spou ses > bereaved adult children.