Philippine E-Journals

Making My Way Back: Early Coping of Bereaved Family Members During Pandemic

Tricia Mae Cunanan | Trisha Galang | Maricris Muli | Dannica Tengco

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The pandemic has brought us into a life of uncertainty and unexpected deaths in families. Filipinos are known to have close family ties which impacted their bereavement. Utilizing grounded theory, this qualitative research study aimed to propose a theory to describe the coping of the bereaved. Specifically, it explored (1) initial reaction and anticipatory grief; (2) compound difficulties; and (3) coping of the participants. Twenty young adults were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. A semi-structured interview was carried out and the data were processed in cool and warm analysis. Four phases were identified: (1) the anguish phase which represents the negative and positive emotions felt by the participants. (2) Bethink phase which involves contemplation and reflection. (3) The laying ground phase mirrors the participants' discovery and engagement with their coping strategies. And (4) the existing phase where they show that they are still in the process of coping but denote meaning-making and acceptance of loss. The ABLE Theory, an acronym derived from the first letters of the four phases, is useful in understanding the experiences of the bereaved to better equip the community and mental help professionals in dealing with similar concerns of individuals during a public health crisis.