Narrative Identity and Grief Reactions: A Prospective Study of Bereaved Partners

The purpose of the study was to explore relations between narrative identity and reactions to bereavement. Approximately 2-3 months after losing their partner, 161 older participants completed questionnaires measuring grief symptoms, positive affect, and neuroticism. They also described past and future chapters in their life stories and rated chapters on positive and negative emotional tone. Past chapters were coded for whether they were related to the loss of the partner and these loss chapters were coded for positive and negative emotional tone. Future chapters were content coded for positive and negative emotional tone as well as whether the content reflected new roles/activities and continuation of roles/activities. At follow-up (5-6 months later), participants completed questionnaires measuring grief symptoms and positive affect. Individuals with more positive future chapters and future chapters emphasizing continuation of roles and activities experienced less severe grief reactions and more positive affect. Thus, narrative identity may be useful for understanding reactions to bereavement.