The bereavement experience in elderly widows

a clinical-qualitative study

Abstract

This study aims to understand the significance of grief in the elderly by the death of the spouse/husband. This is a clinical-qualitative study that was conducted with an intentional sample, composed of six elderly widows. Data was collected through unstructured interviews and observation. After data analysis was conducted the following categories were listed: 1) grief and longing, 2) history of losses and resilience, 3) denial as a defense mechanism in mourning, 4) mourning mediated by guilt, and 5) depression as a reaction to loss. We emphasize the importance of these findings as a foundation for the practice of health professionals working with bereaved elderly.