Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Death* ; Female ; Grief* ; Humans ; Interview, Psychological ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms* ; Pilot Projects ; Sex Factors ; Spouses/psychology*
Keywords
Grief ; Grief response ; Hospice care ; Korean ; Surviving spouse
Abstract
The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the characteristics of the grieving process of Korean spouses who lost their partner to cancer. Five women and five men were recruited by convenience sampling from surviving spouses attending a follow up program at a hospice center in Seoul, Korea. In-depth interviews, observation, and instruments on grief stage and grief responses were used to collect data. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and analyzed line by line to discover recurrent patterns and themes. Gender differences were noted for grief responses (physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual) and factors influencing grief.