The Role of Spirituality during Suicide Bereavement: A Qualitative Study

Austėja Agnietė Čepulienė and Paulius Skruibis
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Austėja Agnietė Čepulienė: Suicidology Research Center, Psychology Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Paulius Skruibis: Suicidology Research Center, Psychology Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-25

Abstract: Background: A loved one’s loss due to suicide can be a traumatic experience and trigger a complex grief process. Although spirituality, defined as a search for the Sacred in a broad sense, can be a resource and an obstacle in coping with the suicide bereavement process, there is a gap in scientific understanding of the role spirituality plays during the process. Methods: To explore the role of spirituality in people bereaved by suicide, we recruited 11 women who lost a life partner due to suicide. We conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We identified the following three themes: spirituality is a supportive resource that can be reached for or achieved without conscious involvement; spirituality provides helpful ways to cope with grief; spirituality makes the grief process more difficult. Conclusions: Spirituality, if personally meaningful and supported by others, can function as a resource after a loved one’s suicide and even add to post-traumatic growth after the loss. On the contrary, spirituality-related issues, such as stigmatization and a lack of personally meaningful traditions, can distress the bereaved. Difficult spiritual experiences and questions can become an intricate part of the grief process.

Keywords: postvention; suicide bereavement; spirituality; religion; religious coping; spiritual coping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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