The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between making sense of loss and of life-oriented coping and the influences of these on mental health. Study 1 was conducted on 144 bereaved families and revealed that making sense of loss was related with age at death, readiness for death, and social support. A longitudinal study (Study 2) was conducted on 88 bereaved families. The results showed that both making sense of loss and life-oriented coping influenced mental health, after controlling for previous mental health. There was no significant relationship between making sense of loss and life-oriented coping. These findings suggest that making sense of loss plays a critical role in the psychological process among bereaved families, whereas there is other process including life-oriented coping.
Japanese Journal of Social Psychology 23 (3), 281-289, 2008
The Japanese Society of Social Psychology