How Do Parentally Bereaved Emerging Adults Define Resilience? It's a Process

Abstract

The construct of resilience can be used to better understand college students who successfully navigate emerging adulthood after the death of a parent. This study used grounded theory to explore the age-salient tasks that parentally bereaved emerging adults use to define resilience. Four tasks were identified and are discussed in the context of popular grief discourse. A conceptualization of resilience as a process is proposed, and ways counselors can apply this construct are discussed.