The Bereavement of an Adult Child in the Middle Phase of Adulthood

Abstract

This article presents the results of a survey of eight couples and one single parent in the middle phase of adulthood, all of whom lost young adult children to sudden, unexpected death. The article gives a presentation of the parents' own descriptions of their grief. Their mourning periods varied from nine months to eight years. The author's findings imply that although the mourning processes for this group of people will last for the rest of their lives, they will gradually adapt to the new situation. The article questions the accepted description of grief as a process limited in time and passing through stages. The author also claims that a crucial element of the mourning process is to preserve an inner picture of the deceased. The article also touches upon the implications of such bereavement on religious and existential questions.