Can self-distancing benefit adjustment to bereavement? A multi-method investigation

Bereaved individuals experiencing prolonged grief often struggle to accept loss and manage emotional distress, making them a key focus of grief interventions. Self-distancing, where individuals process adverse events from an observer's perspective, may play a protective role in grief adaptation. This paper presents three studies examining self-distancing in grief adaptation. Study 1 surveyed bereaved adults (N = 207) and found self-distancing was significantly and negatively correlated with grief symptoms and rumination. Study 2 used a one-session perspective manipulation exercise and showed self-distancing significantly decreased negative emotions, while self-immersion (first-person) decreased positive emotions when recalling bereavement. Study 3 implemented a brief intervention where participants with elevated grief completed an expressive writing exercise using a self-distancing perspective (n = 16) or a self-immersion perspective (n = 15) for 15 min per day for three days. Results indicated that the two writing training tasks increased self-distancing and decreased grief symptoms, but only the self-distancing group reduced grief rumination. These findings highlight the protective role of self-distancing in grief adaptation. Low-intensity interventions, such as expressive writing from a self-distancing perspective, show promise in alleviating grief rumination and prolonged grief symptoms. These results highlight the potential of self-distancing as an accessible and effective strategy for managing prolonged grief, offering a valuable addition to existing grief interventions.