Psychological and Religious Coping Strategies of Mothers Bereaved by the Sudden Death of a Child

Abstract

The authors examined the associations of 3 types of psychological coping (task-based, emotion-based, avoidance), 2 types of religious coping (positive, negative), and their interactions with grief of 57 mothers bereaved by the sudden death of a child. Results indicated that mothers who use emotion-based coping report significantly higher levels of grief, whereas mothers who use avoidance coping report lower levels of grief. The interaction of task coping and positive religious coping was also associated with lower self-reported grief. The findings support the differential utility of various coping styles on mothers’ grief reactions to the sudden death of a child.