Bereavement reactions of female Scots and Swazis: a preliminary comparison

Forty matched Scottish and Swazi girls and women reported the intensity of the bereavement reactions which they had experienced two weeks and one year after the death of a close relative. The Swazi respondents reported more intense grief reactions during the first two weeks of bereavement than the Scottish participants, but the only way in which the two nationalities differed one year after the death was that the Scottish participants had a greater tendency to report feelings of guilt than the Swazi respondents. It is suggested that ritualistic crying and saying farewell to a dying relative may intensify feelings of grief during the early days of bereavement but, in the context of a clearly defined period of mourning, may play a part in reducing later feelings of guilt. Nationality was not a good predictor of the overall bereavement reaction at either of the time periods. A better prediction was obtained from the number of exchanges with other people which were perceived as being unhelpful, and the number of interactions which were absent but longed for.