Relationship among grieving, spirituality, religious commitment, and post-traumatic growth in widowhood

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between grief and post-traumatic growth (PTG), as well as the moderating effects of spirituality, religious commitment, and trauma on this relationship. The PTG domains of life appreciation, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual development, and interpersonal relationships, as well as the PTG total score, were evaluated. 450 widows were selected from the North, Central, and South Tongu Districts of the Volta Region of Ghana. Data was collected using the PTGI Inventory, the Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI-10), the Brief Grief Questionnaire, and the Posttraumatic Checklist (PCL-5). A Correlation Matrix and descriptive statistics were used for interconstruct correlation among latent variables. A Structural Equation Model was performed for each hypothesis based on independent and dependent variables. A path analysis was conducted for the effects of the variables. Grief and PTG were positively related. Positively, spirituality moderated the relationship between grief and PTG. However, religious commitment and trauma moderated the relationship between grief and PTG in a negative manner. This study contributes to the understanding of how spiritual and religious factors influence the grieving process and subsequent growth in widowed individuals. The findings can inform interventions and support strategies for this vulnerable population. It was suggested, among other things, that traditional widowhood administrators should also be schooled on the positive aspects of the widowhood practise that bring about a positive development in women