The Impact of Self-Narrative Framing of a Close Person's Sudden Death on Coping With the Meaning in Life. Issue 4 (19th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Odachowska, Ewa; Trzebiński, Jerzy; Prusik, Monika
• Is Part Of: Journal of loss and trauma. Volume 24:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 293
• Page End: 321
• Publication Date: 2019-05-19
• Subjects: Self-narratives -- Coping with sudden death of close person -- Threatened meaning in life -- Existential anxiety -- Benevolence of narrative framing of traumatic event; Loss (Psychology) -- Periodicals; Adjustment (Psychology) -- Periodicals; Life change events -- Periodicals; Interpersonal relations -- Periodicals; 154.4
• DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2019.1565145
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1532-5024

Abstract

Abstract: Sixty-eight participants who lost a close one on a sudden death were assigned to one of two experimental conditions. They described own story of relations with the deceased person or answered a questionnaire regarding the mourning process. The effects of self-story construction were measured after 2 weeks and then 3 months. The self-story framing of the death increased meaning in life and stress-related growth, and decreased anxiety. The effects became most apparent 3 months after the story description. Higher plot structuring was related to lower anxiety and greater feeling of purpose in life.