Loss and Reintegration: A Pilot Study of Transitions in Widowhood
Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
12-1-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
12-1-2019 12:00 PM
Description
Introduction: Widowhood is characterized by different phases of grief, loss of one’s identity, and changes in occupational participation and engagement, including social participation. Habits, roles and routines are also significantly affected. This study explored the transitions and process of reintegration in order to understand and increase awareness of the lived experiences of widowhood.
Methodology: This was a qualitative phenomenological study inquiring about the lived experiences of widows through personal narratives using an occupational lens. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews using a sample of convenience. Questions for the interviews were open-ended and based on existing literature from occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, death studies, public health, and gerontology. Content analyses of the data were conducted using Krueger’s long table method. Results: The study sample consisted of 13 participants from diverse backgrounds, aged thirty-seven to eighty-five years, and living in the United States and Canada.
Results indicated spirituality, social support, children ages, role and occupational adaptations, and time to prepare facilitated transitions in widowhood. Personal, social, temporal, cultural, and physical contexts impacted the participants’ transitions and reintegration in distinct ways.
Conclusion: Widowhood is a highly individualized experience with various contextual factors and occupational adaptations that facilitate reintegration and the reestablishment of a personal identity. This study has implications for occupational therapists to understand and provide direct services to assist women who are widowed with their transitions and improve their quality of life.
Recommended Citation
Whaley, M., Kangas, K., Ali, A., Pyle, D., Brinck, G., Valiant, K., & Henry, J. (2019), Loss and Reintegration: A Pilot Study of Transitions in Widowhood, Presentation, Fifth Annual Research Colloquium, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ot_colloquium/fifth/events/11
Loss and Reintegration: A Pilot Study of Transitions in Widowhood
Introduction: Widowhood is characterized by different phases of grief, loss of one’s identity, and changes in occupational participation and engagement, including social participation. Habits, roles and routines are also significantly affected. This study explored the transitions and process of reintegration in order to understand and increase awareness of the lived experiences of widowhood.
Methodology: This was a qualitative phenomenological study inquiring about the lived experiences of widows through personal narratives using an occupational lens. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews using a sample of convenience. Questions for the interviews were open-ended and based on existing literature from occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, death studies, public health, and gerontology. Content analyses of the data were conducted using Krueger’s long table method. Results: The study sample consisted of 13 participants from diverse backgrounds, aged thirty-seven to eighty-five years, and living in the United States and Canada.
Results indicated spirituality, social support, children ages, role and occupational adaptations, and time to prepare facilitated transitions in widowhood. Personal, social, temporal, cultural, and physical contexts impacted the participants’ transitions and reintegration in distinct ways.
Conclusion: Widowhood is a highly individualized experience with various contextual factors and occupational adaptations that facilitate reintegration and the reestablishment of a personal identity. This study has implications for occupational therapists to understand and provide direct services to assist women who are widowed with their transitions and improve their quality of life.