Gender differences in grief and growth: An international gender-matched controlled study from Belgium, Canada, and Spain.

Abstract

The grieving process exhibits significant variability influenced by cultural and gender factors. Inconsistencies in gender and cultural differences may be explained by the overrepresentation of bereaved women in the samples. This study explores gender differences in grief and post-traumatic growth (PTG) across Belgium, Canada, and Spain. Utilizing a gender-matched controlled design, the study analyzed data from 244 men and 244 women. Each man was matched with a woman based on kinship with the deceased, delay since loss, and country. Participants completed the Traumatic Grief Inventory-Self Report and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form. Results indicate that men reported significantly lower levels of grief symptoms and PTG compared to women, consistently across all three countries. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research suggesting that men exhibit more instrumental and avoidant grieving styles while women display more intuitive and expressive responses, and how results may be biased by self-report measures and recruitment.