Exploring Prolonged Grief Experiences of Ethnoracial Minoritized Caregivers: An Emic Perspective

Grief is a stressful experience following the death of a loved one that differs among cultures. For decades, researchers have explored the connections between grief and culture, as well as their contextual influences. Our research question is: how do ethnoracial minoritized caregivers in the United States experiencing grief articulate their bereavement experiences and how might their experiences inform improved approaches to therapeutic relationships (e.g., fostering trust) when healthcare providers are working with ethnorocial minoritized clients? To address this question, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study to explore experiences of traumatic loss in the United States. Interviews were conducted until meaning saturation was reached. Nineteen ethnoracial minoritized caregivers completed the Prolonged Grief-13-Revised scale and the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale to assess their grief and meaning-making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from April to July 2024. Participants were predominantly male (63.2%), married (73.68%), and had bachelor's degrees or higher (63.16%). Analysis revealed themes of different grief experiences and their associated contextual and emotional antecedents. Together, these themes illustrate ways in which bereaved caregivers face challenges with self-care, and this, alongside specific expressions of family grief, results in functional impairments. The study highlights the complexities of relationships, stigma, and resistance to grief therapy and the potential benefits of focusing on family dynamics to improve the treatment of prolonged grief disorder at an individual level.