Mourning, religiosity and spirituality: a clinical-qualitative study of aged widows

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to understand the meanings of the mourning experience and its relationship to religiosity and spirituality. This is a clinical-qualitative study performed with six aged widows. Data were collected between October 2009 and August 2010 by means of non-structured interviews and were analyzed utilizing thematic categories. The highlights from the results are: one’s religious beliefs may contribute towards building meaning in mourning,  thus facilitating its elaboration; the Church serves as a source of support for the widows by providing a place for socialization and the expression of feelings; and intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity are verbalized as forms of protection against depression and feelings of loneliness. In conclusion, religion and spirituality play a positive role in the elaboration of mourning, which necessitates the attention of nurses who deal with situations of death and mourning to integrate the religious beliefs of their patients.

Descriptors: Grief; Aged; Religion; Spirituality; Nursing Care.