The dissertation of Kelley, IHM, MS_________________ entitled ...

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Grief in Women Religious 14 Women religious and grief. Grief is a life crisis and crises can impact social relationships and initiate spiritual change (Balk, 1999). Women religious are not excluded from this grief process. When these women lose a loved one, their grief is unique to them as individuals and may be influenced by their religious life. These women choose to live a countercultural lifestyle. As a result, the potency of their grief may go unnoticed or be misconstrued because people do not understand their way of life or the depth of their love for others. Bowlby (1980) discusses several factors that may predict complicated grief including unresolved previous losses, the inability to develop meaningful relationships, living alone, unhelpful social interaction, persistent anger, self- reproach, and depression. In addition, Sanders (1999) cautions that postponing grief or acting as though the loss did not occur may be symptoms of abnormal grief. These issues may be of particular relevance for bereaved women religious because of their highly spiritual life and their bond with members of their congregation. Furthermore, Doka (1987) indicates that grief may be intensified in nontraditional relationships and add confusion to the bereavement process. This may be especially true for contemplative religious whose lifestyle may not permit them to leave their enclosure to care for a family member or visit a dying friend. Consequently, the bereaved women religious may feel isolated, lonely and depressed. As research suggests (Kaltreider, Becker, & Horowitz, 1984; Parkes, 1998), women may be more sensitive than men to the loss of a parent, which may lead to psychological problems; women religious should be no exception. The death of parents may leave a woman religious with a feeling of "homelessness" and a sibling's death may break a tie to a family unit. Without a family of her own, the bond with her nuclear family may be intense and the finality of the loss
Grief in Women Religious 15 may be tremendous. The grief of a woman religious also may be complicated because her life of selfless service may inhibit her from admitting or expressing the pain and emptiness caused by death. For active and contemplative women religious who live in community the availability of positive social support should ease the grieving process. These women have available to them community members who are willing to listen, to help in practical matters and to share with individuals who have experienced similar losses. Ideally, members of the woman religious' local convent will support her through the grieving process with their physical and spiritual presence. Moreover, active women religious have the liberty to engage in social relationships with other religious outside of their local community as well as lay friends and colleagues. These relationships may provide active women religious with additional support during the bereavement process. The grief process also may be affected by the woman religious' personality. An extraverted grieving woman religious may tend to seek social support outside of her local house, look for distractions from her pain, and express more visible grieving emotions. Contrary to this, an introverted woman religious may be more satisfied with the social support received from her local community, be more in touch with her emotions, be less expressive of these emotions, and seek more time alone than an extraverted woman religious. A woman religious would be expected to turn to God and her faith for comfort and support during times of grief. Religious beliefs may bring a sense of solace that her loved one is in heaven and that one day she will be reunited with the deceased. The support of the funeral liturgy, prayer services and rituals that envelop the days following
Page 1 and 2: The dissertation of _____________Do
Page 3 and 4: Running head: GRIEF SYMPTOMS IN WOM
Page 5 and 6: Grief in Women Religious Multiple r
Page 7 and 8: DEDICATION Grief in Women Religious
Page 9 and 10: TABLE 1. TABLE 2. TABLE 3. TABLE 4.
Page 11 and 12: Grief in Women Religious Measures 1
Page 13 and 14: CHAPTER 1 Introduction Grief in Wom
Page 15 and 16: Grief in Women Religious 3 performe
Page 17 and 18: Grief in Women Religious 5 Material
Page 19 and 20: Grief in Women Religious 7 findings
Page 21 and 22: Grief in Women Religious 9 spiritua
Page 23 and 24: Grief in Women Religious 11 Spiritu
Page 25: Grief in Women Religious 13 contemp
Page 29 and 30: Grief in Women Religious 17 attempt
Page 31 and 32: Table 1 Summary of Demographic Info
Page 33 and 34: Grief in Women Religious 21 of this
Page 35 and 36: Grief in Women Religious 23 For the
Page 37 and 38: Grief in Women Religious 25 for EWB
Page 39 and 40: Grief in Women Religious 27 The sup
Page 41 and 42: Grief in Women Religious 29 explain
Page 43 and 44: CHAPTER III Results Grief in Women
Page 45 and 46: Table 3 cont SWB1 Overall Active Co
Page 47 and 48: Table 5 Grief in Women Religious 35
Page 53 and 54: CHAPTER IV Discussion Grief in Wome
Page 55 and 56: Grief in Women Religious 43 women r
Page 57 and 58: Grief in Women Religious 45 Althoug
Page 59 and 60: Grief in Women Religious 47 emptive
Page 61 and 62: Grief in Women Religious 49 religio
Page 63 and 64: Grief in Women Religious 51 Costa,
Page 65 and 66: Grief in Women Religious 53 Herth,
Page 67 and 68: Grief in Women Religious 55 McCrae,
Page 69 and 70: Grief in Women Religious 57 Sanders
Page 71 and 72: APPENDIX A Human Subject Review Let
Page 73 and 74: APPENDIX B Texas Revised Inventory
Page 75 and 76: PART I: PAST BEHAVIOR Grief in Wome
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Grief in Women Religious 65 11. Thi
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INSTRUCTIONS: SSQ Grief in Women Re
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Grief in Women Religious 69 8. Whom
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Grief in Women Religious 71 18. Who
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APPENDIX D NEO-E Grief in Women Rel
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11. I wouldn't enjoy vacationing in
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43. I take a personal interest in t
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SWB Scale Grief in Women Religious
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Grief in Women Religious 81 SWB Sca
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Dear Sister, Cover Letter Grief in
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Background Information Grief in Wom
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Information and Consent Form Grief
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Contact Information for Three Month
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September 2004 Dear Sister, Grief i
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March 2005 Dear Sister, Grief in Wo
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