How reminiscing about deceased close others together with continuing bonds relates to grief severity and personal growth: a cross-sectional study with bereaved adults.

Abstract

Objectives: One of the reasons why people engage in reminiscences about their past is to maintain intimacy with deceased close others. Although previous research alerts to the negative effects of reminiscence for intimacy maintenance on mental health, little is known about its relation to individuals' reactions to loss (i.e. grief severity and personal growth). In two samples, we focus on time since loss and continuing bonds, to elucidate the role of reminiscence for intimacy maintenance in grief.

Method: The samples comprised 111 and 198 bereaved adults. All participants rated the frequency of reminiscence for intimacy maintenance and loss-related variables, such as time since loss, continuing bonds, and grief severity. Sample 2 additionally completed measures of personal growth, loss-centrality, and their interconnectedness with the deceased.

Results: Reminiscence on intimacy maintenance was positively related to grief severity. This relation was independent of time since loss and partly driven by externalized bonds. Internalized bonds mediated the relation between reminiscence for intimacy maintenance and grief severity (in sample 1) and personal growth (in sample 2).

Conclusion: Continuing bonds help explain why reminiscing for intimacy maintenance can be harmful in terms of grief severity but also fosters personal growth after the loss.