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With whom do we grieve? Social and cultural determinants of grief processing in the United States and China

Teachers College, Columbia University, DavidLPressman{at}gmail.com

George A. Bonanno

Teachers College, Columbia University

This research focuses on social and cultural determinants of grief processing among bereaved parents and spouses in the United States and China. Bereaved participants in both countries responded to a brief questionnaire, at 4 months and 18 months post loss, regarding four grief-processing behaviors (thinking about the deceased, searching for meaning in the loss, positive memories about the deceased, and avoiding thinking about the deceased) within three social contexts (family, friends, alone). As predicted, participants reported significantly less frequent grief processing with friends than with family or while alone, with a more pronounced difference at the second wave of data collection. Interactions of culture and lost relationship type were also observed. Implications for the understanding of grief processing and future research on bereavement are discussed.

Key Words: bereavement • cross-cultural • family • friends • grief processing • social context

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