Yearning, Spiritual Beliefs, Coping Strategies, and Delayed Grief Functioning in Bereaved Adults

Abstract

This correlational study examines the yearning, spiritual beliefs, coping strategies, and delayed grief functioning in bereaved adults. The main objective of the study was to assess the moderating effects of both coping strategies and spiritual beliefs in the association between yearning and delayed grief functioning in bereaved adults. Snowball sampling was used for the data collection (n= 200). This study explores how yearning and spiritual beliefs are duplex and act as defence mechanisms towards despair and triggers for grieving processes. Yearning, Spiritual Beliefs, Coping Strategies, and Delayed Grief Functioning were assessed using the Yearning in Situations of Loss Short Form (YSL -SF) Scale, Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS), Brief Cope Urdu Scale, and Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS), respectively. Data analysis was performed using SPSS to account for the interpretation of data. Regression and moderation analysis were used to evaluate the study objectives. The findings of the current study showed that yearning and spiritual beliefs are positively associated with delayed grief functioning with each other and negatively associated with coping strategies in bereaved adults. Bereaved adults with strong spiritual beliefs have high levels of yearning, and their functioning is more disturbed due to delayed grief and vice versa. Furthermore, the results showed that spiritual beliefs and coping strategies moderated the relationship between yearning and delayed grief functioning in bereaved adults.