Meaning and Purpose in Life of Bereaved Parents whose Son Fell during Active Military Service

1 March 1990

journal article
research article
Published by SAGE Publications in OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying

Vol. 20 (2) , 91-102
https://doi.org/10.2190/dl22-hkcy-02xq-3tb4

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the meaning and purpose of life in fifty-two bereaved parents whose sons fell during active military service two or eleven years after their loss, compared to fifty non-bereaved parents, who served as a control group. Participants individually completed the Purpose-in-Life Test and the Meaning-in-Life Scale. Analysis of the results indicated that both bereaved parents received lower scores on both measures compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between parents whose son fell two or eleven years previous to the study. Clinical implications for treating this “at risk” population are discussed.

Keywords

This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:

The Anatomy of Bereavement
Published by Taylor & Francis ,2003
Mourning the Death of a Child: The Family and Group Process
Social Work, 1985
Parents' reactions to the death of an adult child from cancer
American Journal of Psychiatry, 1984
An Investigation of Grief and Adaptation in Parents Whose Children Have Died from Cancer
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 1983
A Comparison of Adult Bereavement in the Death of a Spouse, Child, and Parent
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 1980
Adjustment and war bereavement–Some considerations
Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 1977
Aging and Adjustment: The Applicability of Logotherapy and the Purpose-in-Life Test
The Gerontologist, 1972
A Study of Normal Bereavement
American Journal of Psychiatry, 1968
An experimental study in existentialism: The psychometric approach to Frankl's concept ofnoogenic neurosis
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1964
SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE GRIEF
American Journal of Psychiatry, 1944