Barriers to maintaining a sense of meaning and control in the face of loss

Abstract

Abstract Although finding meaning and reestablishing a sense of control following a major loss are important contributors to successful coping, many individuals are unable to restore these adaptive assumptions. Five strategies for reestablishing meaning and control are identified, and it is proposed that the use of these strategies requires cognitive work, the ability to change views and try new perspectives, and flexibility in goal identification. This framework is used to understand why many people fail to find meaning and control following a serious loss. Characteristics of the situation that make it difficult to find meaning and control include the severity and type of the loss. Personal factors that block or impede the restoration of adaptive assumptions include an avoidant coping style, few opportunities to vent, the belief that positive interpretation involves self-delusion, a rigid belief system, and difficulty in disengaging from goals. Interventions to address these blockades and increase succes...