2025/09/25 by Khadija Kamene · 1 voice
Psychology · #Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health #Migration, Health and Trauma #Resilience and Mental Health
paper · doi:10.70389/pjp.100010
openalex publication_date 2025/09/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14
Grief is a universal yet deeply personal experience shaped by psychological, cultural, spiritual, and existential dimensions. This narrative review critiques the narrow framing of grief within Western diagnostic models and reinterprets it as a dynamic process with potential for growth, identity transformation, and meaning reconstruction. Drawing on classical and contemporary frameworks including Kübler-Ross’s stages, Worden’s tasks, continuing bonds theory, and posttraumatic growth, the review highlights risks of pathologization and foregrounds culturally responsive perspectives. Posttraumatic growth is presented as a multidimensional phenomenon involving deeper appreciation of life, strengthened relationships, resilience, new possibilities, and existential development. Integrating psychological, cultural, and spiritual insights, the review proposes a holistic, transformation-oriented approach to grief and concludes with clinical guidance for trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and meaning-centered care.