Bereaved military families: Relationships and identity

Gill McGill*, Emily Mann, Mary Moreland, Alison Osborne, Matthew Donal Kiernan, Gemma Wilson-Menzfeld

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
50 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

An untimely sudden or violent death is a risk for those serving in the armed forces and can result in unique challenges for surviving military family members. This research considered how bereavement affects a range of relationships for military bereaved families in the UK and how they impact the reconstruction of a new identity in civilian life. A two-phase exploratory sequential design, involving semi-structured interviews (n = 15) and a mixed methods survey (n = 264) of military family members, was conducted. Findings revealed changing relationships with friends and family over time, reconstruction of identity, long-term impact on children, and loneliness.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)504-521
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Loss and Trauma
Volume28
Issue number6
Early online date22 Dec 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Aug 2023

Keywords

  • bereavement
  • armed forces
  • military family
  • children
  • widow

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