Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 50 no. 4 (2025)

The Lived Experiences of Bereaved Adults Who Lost their Parent

Mark Roell Bautista

Discipline: others in psychology

 

Abstract:

Parental loss represents one of life's most profound challenges. However, the research on Filipino adults' grief experiences remains scarce. The study is a descriptive phenomenological study that aims to know the lived experiences of Filipino adults who have lost a parent, with particular focus on how cultural context influences their grief journey, coping mechanisms, and meaning-making processes. Using Edmund Husserl's phenomenological approach and the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement as theoretical frameworks, in-depth interviews were conducted with Filipino young adults who experienced parental death. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's method. The findings are five major themes that emerged from the analysis: (1) Emotional Disruption, characterized by initial numbness, delayed grief responses, and profound disorientation, particularly for those physically distant during the parent's death; (2) Altered Sense of Identity and Role, reflecting participants' premature assumption of adult responsibilities, development of resilience, and reconstruction of self-concept; (3) Coping and Meaning-Making Strategies, including goal-directed actions as tribute to deceased parents, distraction through busyness, spiritual reconnection through prayer, and memory recall as sources of strength; (4) Interpersonal Shifts and Social Understanding, encompassing heightened empathy toward others, re-evaluation of social bonds, and use of success for social affirmation; and (5) Reflection and Realization of Mortality, involving regrets over unfinished business, appreciation for life's impermanence, and pathways to forgiveness and reconciliation. Results suggest that grief can be simultaneously destructive and transformative, leading to enhanced self-reliance, altered life perspectives, and more substantial commitment to honouring parental legacy.



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