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Starting over: a tentative theory exploring the effects of past relationships on postbereavement remarried couples
Andrew Scott Brimhall1, Michelle Lee Engblom-Deglmann
1Counseling and Family Therapy, Saint Louis University, 3500 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA. abrimhal@slu.edu
Abstract:
Using grounded theory methodology 24 participants were asked to discuss how the death of a previous spouse, either theirs or their partner's, was currently affecting their second marriage. Participants were interviewed individually and as a couple. The central category was memories of the deceased spouse. Six additional categories emerged from the data: past spouse on pedestal, current/past comparison, insecurity of current spouse, curiosity about past spouse/relationship, partner's response to curiosity, and impact on the current relationship. Existing literature, auditors, and participant feedback were all used to validate the results. Expanding on a tentative theory (Brimhall, Wampler, & Kimball, 2008), provisional hypotheses were developed, thus helping clinicians who work with complex issues involving remarried couples.
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