The effects of post-funeral rituals on adjustment to bereavement

Abstract

Although post-funeral grief rituals are being performed with increasing frequency and with positive outcomes, very little research has been done to examine the phenomenon of grief rituals. This study utilized a qualitative, interview-based approach to fully assess the variables and concepts related to the use of grief rituals and their impact on bereavement. Thirteen participants described 39 different grief rituals in this study and explored a wealth of themes and concepts concerning the process of grief rituals from beginning to end. Traditional checks in qualitative methodology were used to ensure the reliability and validity of the results. Several examples of grief rituals were explored in detail. Primarily, participants outlined the importance of creating a grief ritual that addresses a particular grief need and making that ritual personally meaningful in some fashion. Participants suggested that rituals should utilize symbolic objects, symbolic times and places, appropriate emotional and spiritual tones, and other special people to increase the individual relevance of the ritual. Participants emphasized that rituals that felt personally meaningful were likely to help both resolve their individual grief issue and increase their confidence and self-efficacy regarding their grief process as a whole. Post-funeral grief rituals seem to retain a unique combination of benefits for the bereavement process. Grief rituals offer the bereaved an opportunity to actively address their grief, to individually tailor the experience to their personal needs, to successfully resolve grief issues, and to increase their confidence and motivation to further address their grief. It is recommended that grief rituals be encouraged to bereaved individuals. Bereaved individuals that have an appropriate amount of emotional strength and self-awareness to create and perform a personally meaningful grief ritual are likely to receive several benefits from doing so.