Project VEGA 2/0098/26
Project duration: 1.1.2026 - 31.12.2029
Principal investigator:
Branislav Uhrecký
Co-investigators:
Peter Halama
Lucia Záhorcová
Peter Teličák
Martin Sedlár
Elena Soták Lisá
Annotation:
The loss of a loved one represents one of the most stressful events in a person's life and is also an important topic in counseling psychology and clinical practice. Nevertheless, the grieving process remains relatively underexplored empirically. Continuing bonds (CB) refer to the mental representation of the deceased person, and previous research suggests that different forms of CB are associated with adjustment to loss. We assume that continuing bonds are closely linked to the process of meaning-making (MM) and that together they predict both successful and complicated grieving. The research objective of the project is to explore changes in continuing bonds and the process of meaning-making following the loss of a loved one through a qualitative longitudinal design, as well as to examine their associations using quantitative cross-sectional designs. Additionally, we hypothesize and aim to verify the relationships between adverse and positive childhood experiences, attachment, and CB and MM.
Key words: meaning making, continuing bonds, grief, attachment, childhood experiences