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Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters

Different types of loss are associated with particular expressions of grief in war survivors: A qualitative examination of Sri Lankan war survivors

(PS4-B47) Different Types of Loss Are Associated with Particular Expressions of Grief in War Survivors: A Qualitative Examination of Sri Lankan War Survivors

Friday, November 18, 2022

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

RD

Richard Divirgilio, None

Undergraduate Student
Manhattan College
Washingtonville, New York

Co-Author(s)

Nuwan D. Jayawickreme, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Manhattan College
HOLLAND, Pennsylvania
WA

William Affleck, Ph.D.

Post-doctoral Fellow
Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, University of Quebec (UQO).
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
FT

Fiona C. Thomas, Ph.D.

Psychological Research Associate
Mount Sinai Hospital
London, Ontario, Canada
EJ

Eranda Jayawickreme, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Wake Forest University
Winston Salem, North Carolina

Survivors of war typically experience a multitude of losses, including loss of loved ones – e.g., death of nuclear and extended family members– and loss of material goods – e.g., loss of land and home. Such experiences undoubtedly lead to experiences of grief; however, psychologists have paid scant attention to such grief reactions in war survivors, focusing instead on depressive and traumatic stress reactions, and often conflating grief with traumatic stress. This qualitative study uses a narrative thematic analysis to obtain a detailed understanding of different types of grief reactions that can emerge within Sri Lankan war survivors. Specifically, we examine the experiences of grief stemming from different types of losses, such as the death of loved ones, missing loved ones, and the loss of material possessions. Analysis was conducted on interviews conducted with 103 internally displaced survivors (76.7% female) of the Sri Lankan civil war. Results indicate that war survivors who experienced loss of loved ones typically experienced intense sadness, guilt, bitterness, anger, and fear, whereas those who experienced loss of material goods were more relation-focused, struggling with worry, shame, sadness, and anger over not being able to provide for their family, and worried about their children’s futures. War survivors who experienced both loss of loved ones and loss of material goods both experienced intense negative emotions over their loss, and also were concerned about not being able to provide for their family and about their future.