Building of family resilience in Turkish and American families experiencing loss: A grounded theory study

Bereavement, especially the loss of a father or husband, profoundly disrupts family life. Yet many families demonstrate remarkable resilience, maintaining unity and moving forward after such a devastating loss. This grounded theory study aimed to develop a theoretical model explaining the factors and processes that support family resilience in bereaved families, particularly how they maintain unity and continue functioning after the death of a father/husband. The research addressed how the loss reverberates through the family system and how resilience is formed, exploring families' experiences of the loss, the challenges they face, their coping strategies, and the individual, familial, and cultural factors that foster adaptation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 35 widowed mothers (12 Turkish, 23 American [12 African American, 11 White American]) who had lost their husbands. Interview data were analyzed according to Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory coding procedures, yielding a process-based, culturally informed theoretical model of family resilience. Findings reveal that a father's death initially shakes the family's stability, leading to emotional upheaval, disruption of roles, and an urgent need for support. Over time, families engaged in dynamic resilience processes such as reorganizing family roles, strengthening communication and emotional bonds and support networks, and finding meaning in the loss. Key resilience factors emerged at the individual level (e.g., personal coping skills, beliefs), family level (e.g., cohesion, shared routines, open communication), and cultural level (e.g., community support, religious or cultural practices). Through active meaning-making and redefining future goals, families gradually integrated the loss into a new life narrative while preserving family unity. This study contributes to family resilience theory by offering a nuanced, cross-cultural model of how bereaved families adapt and find strength after loss, providing valuable insights for practitioners supporting bereaved families.