Ambiguous Loss Research Articles

The Experiences of Grief in Bereaved Women Following the Death of Their Husbands During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Qom, Iran: A Phenomenological Study

Background and Objectives: The death of a loved one is one of the most difficult and stressful life events in the world. The effects of death caused by COVID-19 on the mental health of individuals and families are of great importance. This study aims to elucidate the experience of grief in bereaved women following the death of their husbands due to COVID-19 in Qom, Iran. Methods: In this phenomenological study, 12 bereaved women were selected using a purposive sampling method. The information was collected using semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation. Results: The data analysis led to the extraction of 3 main themes and 10 sub-themes: Complicated grief (ambiguous loss, farewell with no embrace, grieving alone), unconventional grief (strange death, deviation from religious burial customs, virtual mourning), and grief outcome (spiritual experiences, moral panic, social stigma, distrust in healthcare providers). Conclusion: The grief of bereaved women due to the death of their husbands by COVID-19 differs from their mourning for the death caused by other diseases in two aspects. Firstly, according to the majority of women, the cause of death was unclear. This situation intensified their grieving and mourning. Secondly, due to the specific nature of COVID-19 and the necessity of quarantine, they were restricted from having funeral and religious mourning rituals according to the prevalent culture, which resulted in an incomplete mourning process. Gaining spiritual experiences is one positive aspect of grief in women. It is recommended to provide support and care by the healthcare system during pandemics for families, especially bereaved women, to reduce the negative effects of grief.

Family Members Grieving the Loss of a Person to Incarceration: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review examined grief related to the incarceration of a family member in order to establish a theoretical framework. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Social Sciences Citation Index, Embase, PsycInfo, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials & Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PILOTS, and Psychiatry Online was conducted. We extracted data on sample characteristics, study design, purpose of the study, grief measure used, grief term and definition used, and key qualitative and quantitative findings. Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Most studies used the terms 'ambiguous loss' (n = 15) and 'disenfranchised grief' (n = 12); however, grief terms and their definitions varied. The review identified 14 unique terms and more than 20 definitions. In several cases, the same term was defined and conceptualized differently between studies. This review also revealed shortcomings in existing theoretical frameworks for grief related to incarceration. Grief related to losing a family member to incarceration involves two distinct constructs: non-traditional losses and cascading losses. Non-traditional losses (measured on a continuum) capture elements of a loss to incarceration that are unique (compared to a loss via death) or may not be socially accepted, whereas cascading losses refers to the ongoing losses that one may experience related to the incarceration (e.g., loss of financial stability). This framework provides the field with consistent constructs and definitions that can be used to further advance research in incarceration-related grief and facilitates an improved ability to replicate findings between laboratories.

Loss of safe spaces: Ambiguous loss and minority stressors of BIPOC LGBTQ+ communities amidst the covid-19 pandemic

As the world came to a halt in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, oppressed communities were at the forefront of distress from isolation, lack of resources, and connection. A vast amount of literature has emphasized the necessity of safe spaces and impact of minority stressors on Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (BIPOC LGBTQ+) communities. However, few have begun to explore relationships among ambiguous loss of safe spaces and minority stressors from pandemic isolation. This study aimed to explore the experiences of BIPOC LBGTQ+ communities during the Covid-19 pandemic using a convergent mixed methodical approach. Through cross-sectional survey, quantitative data examined relationships between minority stressors, LGBTQ community connection, and family environment and support at home (n = 164). Through 7 focus groups, qualitative data captured themes surrounding loss, online connection, trust, and redefinition of safe spaces (n = 29). An integrated discussion utilizing an integrated theoretical framework of minority stress, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems, and intersectionality is then presented. Lastly, limitations and future directions are discussed.

Between mourning and hope: A mixed-methods study of ambiguous loss and posttraumatic stress symptoms among partners of Israel defence force veterans.

Spouses of military combatants often experience adverse outcomes, including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the event of ambiguous loss (AL). AL refers to an uncertain situation regarding a person's status as alive or as cognitively present. The former ambiguity is categorized by the term physical AL (PAL), which refers to the continued psychological presence of a person, despite their physical absence. The latter ambiguity, categorized by the term psychological AL or ambiguous presence, refers to when a person is emotionally absent, despite their physical presence. Though AL has been widely researched, there are still gaps around the AL-posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relationship, especially regarding dyadic variables that can moderate this relationship. Also, most of the AL military-related studies are qualitative, with only a few that combine qualitative and quantitative research methods. We address these gaps in an innovative mixed-methods study examining the emotional experience of Israeli veterans' spouses with a focus on the relationship between AL, PTSS, and dyadic adjustment (DA). The study included 63 participants, all spouses of Israeli veterans. We used self-report questionnaires (AL, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition) and a semistructured narrative interview. Our results revealed positive correlations between AL-PTSS and PAL-PTSS. Also, an interaction effect was found in which the lower the DA level, the stronger the PAL-PTSS correlation. Conversely, the higher the DA level, the stronger the ambiguous presence-PTSS correlation. Qualitative findings identified themes in the experience of these situations, including uncertainty and ambivalence. Our qualitative and quantitative results combined suggest that the way military couples deal with AL may be an important emotional experience requiring specific attention from mental health professionals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Ambiguous Loss: A Loved One’s Trauma

Research on interpersonal trauma tends to focus on the effects of traumatic encounters on those one who directly undergo the experience. In this paper, I seek to understand the experiences of the friends and family of the one who has undergone trauma, a paradigmatic case being the relatives of veterans (O’Nell, 1999). I argue that one way we can understand the experiences of friends and relatives is through Pauline Boss’ concept of ambiguous loss (Boss, 1986, 2007). The kind of ambiguous loss relevant for our purposes is when a family member is physically present but psychologically absent, for example, in the case of a relative with advanced dementia. This is what I purport happens in some instances of traumatic experience. I argue that third-person traumatic encounter can be experienced as a loss due to the changes in the person who has undergone the traumatic encounter and that this, in turn, causes changes in the person experiencing the loss and their relationship with their traumatised family member. I argue that first-person traumatic encounter is a transformative experience (Paul, 2014), i.e., an experience which causes personal and epistemic changes in the subject undergoing it, and that third-person traumatic encounter can also be a transformative experience.

I’m Telling You for the Last Time: Digital Mediations of Ambiguous Grief, Coping and Resilience on ‘Glioblastology’

This paper examines the way ambiguous grief related to terminal illness is mediated through a blog titled Glioblastology and via social media engagement with its content and author. Building from the psychology framework of ambiguous loss, this paper positions ambiguous grief as a salient lens through which to discover how users in need of coping spaces are engaging digital space as a medium for meaning making and coping during the diagnosis of a terminal illness.

Goodbyes without farewells under the rubble: A phenomenological study of earthquake victim's methods of coping with ambiguous loss.

Ambiguous loss refers to the lack of clear information about the fate of a missing person or object. This study aims to examine in-depth the experiences of earthquake victims regarding the methods of coping with the uncertain losses they experienced after the Kahramanmaraş-based earthquake disaster on February 6, 2023. In this qualitative study conducted using phenomenological research design, the snowball sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, was used. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews of approximately 30 to 40 minutes were conducted with 20 earthquake victims reached by this method. Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained. Data were collected by COREQ criteria. According to the results of the analysis, three main categories (inner journey and emotional transformation, bridges of solidarity built on destruction, and change and growth in life perspectives) and nine themes (whispers coming from under the rubble, the reaction of facing ambiguity, mental labyrinths in the search for meaning, hearts united amid destruction, the search for meaning in ambiguity and ways out of spiritual wreckage, growth among the rubble, and the value of transience and new horizons rising from the ruins) emerged. The research reveals that the coping methods adopted by earthquake victims in the face of personal and objective ambiguous losses range from spirituality to social support mechanisms. In line with the results obtained from the findings, it is suggested that the coping strategies of earthquake victims should be strengthened, and new methods should be developed.

Ambiguous Losses and Their Traumatic Effects: A Qualitative Synthesis of the Research Literature

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the research literature on ambiguous losses, focusing on the psychological impact of uncertainty and the associated unresolved circumstances. The research method involves synthesizing data from various sources, including academic articles, books, and case studies, accessed through databases like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. The study underscores the need for specialized therapeutic methods and comprehensive support systems to improve the resilience and psychological health of those experiencing ambiguous loss. Effective coping strategies include seeking social support, engaging in meaning-making activities, and using therapeutic interventions like resilience training and narrative therapy to improve the psychological health of those experiencing ambiguous loss. Healthcare providers should integrate narrative therapy and resilience training techniques, while social workers should enhance support systems involving community networks. Further research is urgently advocated to expand the understanding of ambiguous loss across various contexts and cultures, leading to more effective, tailored interventions. The study's contributions are significant, as it elucidates the complex dynamics of ambiguous loss and identifies effective coping mechanisms and therapeutic interventions. By highlighting how ambiguous loss differs from other losses in closure and resolution, the paper offers new insights into the tailored approaches necessary to support affected individuals. The study consolidates diverse aspects of ambiguous losses and makes unique suggestions for policy and practice in one scholarly work.

The Politics of Ambiguous Loss: Missing Persons and Social Ecologies after Armed Conflict

Abstract This article seeks to understand how the concept of ambiguous loss can help explain why and how the issue of missing persons becomes a tool of politics, in terms of being instrumentalized to advance particular political agendas. Ambiguous loss is constructed relationally within the social systems that family members of the missing occupy and, as a result, social and political contexts play a crucial role in both defining ambiguity and in mediating the impacts of ambiguous loss. Because ambiguity is discursively and relationally constructed and meaning made from it subject to existing power relations, it is inherently political. The extreme and chronic trauma of ambiguous loss reshapes individuals’, families’ and, potentially, communities’ perspectives on events in which people have gone missing, making the trauma of ambiguous loss one that lends itself to being framed as a collective trauma with impacts for the entire group. More than this, the impacts of ambiguous loss resonate with what have been called ‘chosen traumas’, used to create group identities in the light of extreme experiences. In particular, the importance in ambiguous loss of meaning making and of the challenge of forgetting resonates with what makes collective traumas effective tools of politics.

The meaning of apathy in Huntington's disease: A qualitative study of caregiver perspectives

ABSTRACT Although one of the most prevalent and impactful features of Huntington’s disease (HD), little is known about the impact of apathy on HD caregivers, although there is evidence it affects perceptions of distress and burden. Given the importance of the caregivers, we aimed to explore the lived experience of people supporting someone with HD and associated apathy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers and analysed using reflective thematic analysis, informed by a phenomenological framework. Five overarching themes were produced: (1) What even is apathy? (2) It makes my life harder: the practical impact of apathy, (3) They haven’t forgotten me, but they have forgotten that they ever loved me, (4) I’m grieving for someone who hasn’t died yet, and (5) I need a safe space to say what I really feel without fear of judgement. Inter-woven between these themes were complex narratives about the unspoken nature of HD, the invisibility of caregivers who felt trapped and unheard, and the one-sided nature of loving someone with the disease. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks of anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss, and situated within the wider literature on caregiving for people with a neurodegenerative condition.

The Emotional Aftermath of Surviving an Attempted Intimate Partner Homicide.

While the issue of intimate partner homicide (IPH) has gained increasing focus, research that pinpoints the experiences of women who survived an attempted IPH is limited. Specifically, studies that aim to understand the aftermath of surviving such incidents are scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the emotional experience of IPH survivors following the attack. An interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the narratives of 11 women who had survived an attempted homicide by their partner. Four major themes emerged: Living between dichotomies: A fragmented identity; Embodied fear: A fear that will not go away; The loss of future: A life divided; and The loneliness of surviving the "unsurvivable." Utilizing the ambiguous loss theory to examine the emotional ramifications of IPH indicates that survivors navigate persistent confusion and struggle to comprehend the loss. This involves challenges in moving forward and achieving resolution, conflicting emotions related to the loss, minimal recognition of the grief, and limited support from the social environment.

Beyond the flames: understanding the impact of loss without body recovery or identification in fire-related mass disaster contexts

Abstract The World Trade Center attack (2001), the Black Saturday (2009), the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (2014), the wildfires of June and October in Portugal (2017), the California wildfires (2018)—these are a few examples of mass disaster events, specifically related to fire and high temperatures, which resulted in multiple casualties and several people unidentified and/or missing. Besides the physical destruction, the lost lives are one of the main consequences of these contexts. Dealing with the loss of a family member may not be an easy process, however, it is easier to accept when there is a body to bury. Conversely, not knowing the whereabouts of a person who might have been involved in a disaster makes mourning and returning to daily life harder. The family of the missing/unidentified lives in doubt and in a state termed as ‘ambiguous loss’. Forensic anthropologists face several challenges and obstacles when detecting and analysing burnt skeletal remains, which are increased in mass disaster contexts. However, the suffering experienced by the families of the victims of these contexts is far superior. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to employ all efforts to achieve the identity of these victims to allow the families to mourn, as well as to reassure society that no death is insignificant. Thus, the importance of identifying the victims of scenarios involving fire/heat is addressed in this paper through a brief description of some mass disaster events, emphasizing the challenges faced in identifying burnt remains and the psychological consequences families endure resulting from it.

Deathscape, materiality and memorialisation: Arandora Star remembrance in Scotland

AbstractThis article progresses Second World War historiography of ‘enemy alien’ internment, especially of the SS Arandora Star, sunk in 1940 with a high loss of Italian civilian lives. Employing a new paradigm, that of the deathscape, defined as a topography of death and the practices that surround it, this investigation recontextualises Arandora Star remembrance in Scotland. Ambiguous loss, complicated grieving, disenfranchisements in mourning and absences in multiple layers of the deathscape form overarching themes that are explored in parallel to emotional-affective memory. The previously neglected study of individual memorialisation, both private and ‘official’, provides an important primary source in the fragmented materiality of the deathscape, allowing fresh insight on both cultural manifestations and political context. As the material and cultural apex of the deathscape, the Italian Cloister Garden and Arandora Star Memorial in Glasgow, created by Archbishop Mario Conti in 2011, are evaluated through the lenses of leadership, identity and heritage activism.

Infrared and visible image fusion method based on target enhancement and rat swarm optimization

In order to solve the target ambiguity and information loss in the fusion results of traditional infrared and visible images, a fusion method of infrared and visible images based on the target enhancement and mouse swarm optimization, which is abbreviated as TERSFuse. Firstly, in order to reduce the loss of the original image details in the fusion results, the infrared contrast enhancement module and the visible image enhancement module based on the brightness perception are constructed respectively. Secondly, the infrared and visible enhanced images were decomposed by using the Laplace pyramid transform to obtain the corresponding high and low frequency images. In order to make the fusion result fully retain the original information, the "maximum absolute value" rule is used to fuse the infrared and visible high frequency images, and the low frequency images are fused by calculating the weight coefficient. Finally, the image reconstruction module based on the rat swarm optimization is designed to achieve the adaptive allocation of weight parameters of high frequency and low frequency image reconstruction, and then improve the visual effect of the fused image. In order to verify the advantages of the present algorithm, the experimental results show that the present algorithm not only obtains the good visual effects, but also can retains the rich edge texture and contrast information of the original image.

Interpersonal dynamics of traumatic brain injury within romantic relationships described in online forums

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have serious consequences for people’s physical health and the quality of their romantic relationships. Less clear, however, are the interpersonal dynamics of couples navigating the aftermath of TBI. We used data scraping techniques to capture five years of posts submitted to online help-seeking forums, and we analyzed the resulting 349 single-spaced pages of data using codebook thematic analysis. Both TBI survivors and partners reported the focal themes of personality changes and relationship changes. TBI survivors emphasized a lack of understanding that led to grief and loss, relational uncertainty, and isolation. Partners reported poor treatment that culminated in negative emotions and relational uncertainty. The data showed notable similarities and differences between TBI survivors and partners. We interpret the results via four prominent theories of marriage and family relationships: ambiguous loss theory, relational turbulence theory, the theory of resilience and relational load, and family systems theory. Overall, our findings shed light on interpersonal dynamics after TBI and lay a foundation for future theoretical and clinical advances.

Elephants, Ecological Grief, and Art Therapy

Climate change is a well-documented challenge for human societies where human actions have spurred global warming leading to climate breakdown. Ecological disasters are already affecting the mental health of many people, and this is escalating. By painting elephants, I address ambiguous loss and demonstrate the power of art therapy to inform grief work and ecological grief as humanity’s shared trauma. Seen through the lens of elephants, one realizes the many connections between elephant and human societies, including ancestral memories, experience of attachment and trauma, and capacities to heal. Maintaining a consistent art practice helps one make sense of the senseless and deal with grief as an act of resilience, self-and-planetary care, and ethics, thereby having implications for art therapists.

Same Me, Different View: Exploring Family Achievement Guilt in Post-Graduate First-Gen College Students

ABSTRACT This article will review family achievement guilt in post-graduate first-generation college students using an ambiguous loss theoretical framework. Those who have experienced this phenomenon may straddle two worlds because of their dual identities, and for all the accolades earned by achieving academic and economic success, there may be a sense of unaccounted loss. Three central themes were found: 1) A lack of support from family members; 2) Disconnect with family and development of new identity; and 3) Ambivalence between loyalty to family and sense of independence.

LGBTQ+ disclosure: challenges and possibilities

This paper uses Ambiguous Loss Theory to explore the anticipatory and ambiguous losses and stressors surrounding the decision to come out as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer. Purposive sampling was used to administer a survey to 429 individuals who identified as LGBTQ+ about their coming out decisions and experiences. Data were coded and three major themes were developed: (1) the need for psychosocial safety (fear of being disowned, shunned or abandoned); (2) experiences of anxiety, depression, emotional stress, and shame; and (3) the pursuit of authenticity, self-discovery and liberation. Findings from the study indicate that coming out for LGBTQ+ individuals in the twenty first century remains accompanied by challenges and fears, both before and after the process, which significantly affects individuals’ health and safety. In the longer term, despite the challenges, stressors and losses identified by participants, most reported that disclosing their sexual orientation had greatly improved their health and mental well-being.

Navigating disenfranchised grief: Women's experiences caring for family with brain injury

AbstractA leading cause of disability, brain injury entails long‐term recovery that often necessitates in‐home caregiving provided by a spouse, partner, or parent. Women tend to shoulder such caregiving roles, yet few studies investigate the triumphs and obstacles associated with their lived experiences—including counseling and other supports. Anchored in a constructivist tradition aligned with humanistic principles, we utilized narrative inquiry and grounded theory to explore, via interviews, the experiences of 20 women caregivers to family members with brain injury. Our analyses yielded four intersected categories reinforced by a guiding perspective of disenfranchised grief: (1) experiencing dissonance, (2) navigating ambiguous loss, (3) falling in and out of isolation, and (4) losing and reclaiming personal identity. We discuss counselor education and development, individual therapy and psychoeducation, and group considerations.

Mental health and early career adaptation challenges of Chinese returnees and Korean ambitionists among the STEAM doctoral cohorts in the post-pandemic academic job market

ABSTRACT This longitudinal study presents a critical phenomenological comparison of mental health and early career adaptation challenges encountered by Chinese returnees and Korean ambitionists in the post-pandemic academic job market. They were international doctoral candidates in American higher education pursuing academic careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) but failed to secure tenure-track faculty positions. Consequently, all Chinese returned to their home country, while all Koreans remained in the United States. Findings demonstrate that both groups commonly experienced racial trauma, career anxiety, and ambiguous loss, albeit within each group’s diverse circumstances and immigration status, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study suggests implementing trauma-informed care within the chaos theory of careers. Therefore, this study calls upon the global public, intellectual societies, policymakers, and counsellors in comparative and international education to develop appropriate coping strategies and provide these emerging scholars with mental health counselling and career support services.