The Effects of Gender and Age on Grief Work Associated with Grief Support Groups

The researchers report on data gathered regarding the degree to which different age groups and genders respond to the deaths of their spouses and identify specific behaviors they used to help them move through their grief. An instrument was devised using five basic tasks of grief as the point of reference. The data indicate the participants were relatively adept at expressing all the emotions associated with their grief, including both men and women. They found that storing memories of the deceased to reinvest in their own individual lives was the most difficult task, which was particularly true for older widowed persons. Intentionality to face the pain directly seemed to be the missing ingredient to accomplish this task. Those who were widowed at a younger age were better able to move through their grief and anticipate a new positive phase in their lives.