Comparison of Coping Styles and Grief Reactions in Mothers Who Are Heads of Families Due to Divorce and Death of Spouse

The experience of loss is challenging, especially when it occurs due to divorce or the death of a spouse, and it can be a difficult experience for mothers. The research aims to to compare the coping styles and grief reactions in mothers who are heads of families due to divorce and the death of spouse. 

Research method:

 The current research is descriptive of causal-comparative type. The statistical population of the study included all the heads of families with the age range of 33 to 52 years residing in Karaj city during the 2022-2023 period which included two groups of divorced mothers and mothers whose husbands had died. The sampling method was of convenience type and consisted of two groups of 35 mothers who were heads of the family (one group due to divorce and the second group due to the spouse`s death). The data collection tools used in the study were the Coping Strategies Questionnaire and the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and SPSS version 24.

The findings showed that mothers who are the head of the family due to divorce use more emotion-oriented coping strategies compared to mothers who are the head of the family due to the death of their spouse (p=0.001). Also, mothers who are the head of the family due to divorce experience more blame and anger, separation and withdrawal, as well as confusion compared to mothers who are the head of the family due to the death of their spouse (p=0.001).

Therefore, it can be concluded that the challenges faced by mothers who are the head of the family after divorce create different coping mechanisms and grief reactions compared to those due to the death of their spouses. The results of this research can be used by psychologists and family counselors.