Narrating ambiguous loss: Deficiencies in narrative processing and negative appraisal of consequences.
ambiguous loss
autobiographical reasoning
grief
meaning-making
narrative
Journal
Journal of clinical psychology
ISSN: 1097-4679
Titre abrégé: J Clin Psychol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0217132
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 2021
10 2021
Historique:
revised:
16
11
2020
received:
25
02
2020
accepted:
28
03
2021
pubmed:
19
5
2021
medline:
23
11
2021
entrez:
18
5
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
To compare narrative coping with physical and psychological ambiguous loss (AL) and definite loss in terms of distancing (vs. narrative immersion), meaning-making, and subjective biographical consequences. Thirty adults who had lost a parent to death, to going missing, or to Alzheimer disease (N = 90, 67 females; mean age 36.73 years, SD = 7.27; mean time since loss 9.0 years) narrated two loss-related and three control memories. Individuals with AL were not more immersed in the loss experience, but less successful in finding meaning and in evaluating the loss and its consequences positively compared to those with a definite loss. These group differences were not due to differences in depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and protracted grief. Ambiguity of loss renders meaning-making and coherently narrating loss more difficult, leading to more negative affect, suggesting interventions that help narrating loss coherently in a self-accepting way.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
2147-2166Informations de copyright
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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