The present study explored the nature of grief and trauma following the loss of a loved one. The concept of complicated grief (CG) was investigated, and the overlapping symptoms of trauma, CG, and grief were explored. Comparisons were made between those who reported CG and/or trauma and those who did not report CG or trauma in relation to search for meaning, death anxiety, and self-regulation. The failure to find meaning in the death of a loved one, impaired self-reference, and death anxiety were found to play a significant role in both trauma and CG.
This study examines the reliability and validity of Internet research in bereavement. Recent literature demonstrates an increased interest in utilizing a more convenient, inexpensive, and rapid Internet method to collect data and recruit bereaved participants. For researchers, the Internet offers the possibility to learn more about grief from the growing online community of bereaved people. To explore the possible use of Internet tools in bereavement research, this study compares online survey method with traditional paper-and-pencil method in grief assessment. One group of bereaved adults (N = 84) was recruited and completed the survey by mail, and another group of bereaved adults (N = 262) was recruited and completed the same set of questions via Internet. The collected data were analyzed to identify both similarities and differences between the two samples' responses and the psychometric characteristics of the Core Bereavement Items inventory (CBI; Burnett, Middleton, Raphael, & Martinek, 1997). Significant differences were found between the two samples in relation to time since loss, cause of death, and relationship to deceased, demonstrating a greater variability in the Internet sample. Other demographic characteristics, as well as the grief and meaning making scores, did not differ significantly. In addition, no relevant differences were found in the psychometric properties of the CBI. These findings suggest that the Internet-based methods can be a suitable and valid alternative to more traditional paper-and-pencil methods.
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.