Meaning Making

For the loss survivor, the process of the RFA can result in meaning-making for the loss survivor. (Dyregrov, Dieserud, Hjelmeland, Rasmussen, Knizek, & Leenaars, 2011). RFAs help individuals to recover by creating meaning-making.

Meaning-making: “...making sense of, or coming to 

understand the (traumatic) situation in a different way..."(Gillies & Neimeyer 2006, p. 31).

Meaning Making :

-Restructures/scaffolds one's experience/reality.

-It is “making sense of, or coming to understand the situation differently...

(the loss survivor) finds benefits or positives that come from the situation, and changes (the loss survivor’s) identity…” (Gillies & Neimeyer, 2006, p. 32). 

-Facilitates adaptation to a changed world (Gillies & Neimeyer).

-“…helps the bereaved to find meaning … in the meaningless incident” (Dyregrov et al.,2011, p.702).

-Reconstructs “…the shattered biographies of the deceased and themselves” (Dyregrov et al.,2011, p. 701).

 -Increases insight, understanding , and perspective, regarding the suicide.

Provides some understanding of the suicidal intent that ended a loved one’s life (Gillies & Neimeyer, 2006).

-Provides a balanced perception of the suicide and the loved  one’s image (Dransart, 2013).

-Reconstructs the decedent’s memory, beyond “just” a person who died by suicide (Dransart, 2013).  

-Reveals suicidal process as a whole, vs. only an ending. 

 Provides a new identity, beyond the identity of a loss survivor. 

 Provides a new perspective, focus on one’s own life (Dransart, 2013)  

-Provides for the "… possibility for new adaptations and behaviors”   (Dyregrov et al.,2011, p. 702).  

-Diminishes self-blame.  The loss survivor begins to sense that there were other reasons for the suicide...  (relationship break up, employment loss, etc.)  (Henry & Greenfield, 2009).  

-“…facilitate(s) a sense of purpose…(they see that their) participation would help others” (Dyregrov et al., 2011, p. 701 ).  PAs can be an effective tool for the prevention of suicide (Dyregrov et al.,2011).

References

Cerel,J., Brown, M. M., Maple, M., Singleton, M., Van de Venne, J., Moore, M., & Flaherty, C.(2019). How many people are exposed to suicide? Not six. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, Apr,49(2) 529-534.

Dransart, D. A. C. (2013) From sense making to meaning making: Understanding and supporting survivors of suicide. The British Journal of Social Work 43(2) 317-335. 

Dyregrov, K. M., Dieserud, G., Hjelmeland, H. M., Straiton, M., Knizer, B. L., & Leenars, A. A. (2011). Meaning making through psychological autopsy interviews: The value of participating in qualitative research for those bereaved by suicide. Death Studies, 35, 685-710.

Gillies, J., & Neimeyer, R. A. (2006). Journal of Constructivist Psychology 19(1), 31-65.