Psychological Adjustment to Conjugal Bereavement: Do Social Networks Aid Coping following Spousal Death?

Abstract

This research sought to investigate the role of social networks in coping and adjustment to spousal bereavement. A total of 198 Xhosa-speaking participants, drawn from the rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, took part in the study. Quantitative data analyses revealed significant correlations between perceived social support on Social Support Appraisals scale and the anxiety scores on the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition and the problem-solving coping strategy scale on the Coping Strategy Indicator. Regression analyses revealed that depression contributed to increased social support appraisals, while anxiety was a significant negative predictor of the participants' experience of perceived social support. The authors highlight the need for bereavement intervention programs in the rural areas to be geared toward psycho-educating the conjugally bereaved individuals, within the socio-cultural framework, to continuously evaluate their support structures and strengthen ties with social networks that render support, instrumental assistance, and advice in times of need.

Social support and psychological well-being as possible predictors of complicated grief in a cross-section of people in mourning. [Apoyo social y bienestar psicológico como posibles predictores de estado de duelo complicado en poblac de personas en duelo]

“…But there is one fact that could be interfering and which a partly similar study notes (Somhlaba & Wait, 2008): depressive symptoms caused an increased awareness of SS. Keeping this in mind, we must be cautious in our interpretation, because with this data we cannot distinguish whether a higher level of CG causes the grieving person to receive more SS, or if the person notices it because they are under the influence of depressive symptoms.…”

“…Scientific evidence points in different directions (Cohen & Mc.Kay, 1984) due to the different perspectives from which we have studied the relationship between SS and grief such as gender (Bankoff, 1983;Goodkin et al, 1998;Riley, LaMontagne, Hepworth & Murphy, 2007), relationship to the deceased (Bankoff, 1983;Murphy, Johnson, Chung & Beaton, 2003;Ott, 2003;Ott, Kelber & Blaylock, 2010;Riley et al, 2007;. Somhlaba & Wait, 2008;Stroebe et al, 2005), cause of death (Burke et al, 2010;.…”

“…Somhlaba & Wait, 2008;Stroebe et al, 2005), cause of death (Burke et al, 2010;. Kristensen, Weisaeth & Heir, 2010;Weder, García-Nieto & Canneti-Nisim, 2010) and symptoms present (Somhlaba & Wait, 2008;Vanderwerker & Prigerson, 2003), which have generated a wide variability in results and conclusions.…”

“…The first includes studies that support the contribution of SS in decreasing the symptoms of grief: reduction of depression (Burke et al, 2010), anxiety (Somhlaba & Wait, 2008) and/or post-traumatic stress (Murphy et al, 2003;Vanderwerker & Prigerson, 2003). For example, people bereaved because of homicide (Burke et al, 2010), and bereaved mothers (Riley et al, 2007) both showed fewer symptoms associated with grief.…”

The Grief and Trauma Project: A Group Work Approach to Restoring Emotional and Spiritual Health to Women in Bereaved and Traumatised Indigent Communities in the Western Cape, South Africa

“…The literature pertaining to resource-poor communities in urban and rural settings focuses on cultural rituals and community support (Setsiba, 2012;Yawa, 2010;Radzilani, 2010). An assumption of availability of adequate resources to support the bereaved person as an individual fails to take into account the context of complicated grief on conjugal bereavement of women in rural, indigent and marginalised communities (Opperman & Novello, 2006;Somhlaba & Wait, 2008) and low-income communities characterised by violence, death and continuous stress (Eagle, 2015).…”