Examination of Factors for Family Resilience due the Process of Recovering from Loss

Abstract

　　Loss experience might confuse and upset not only individuals, but also families. While all families could face loss experience; some families may be shattered, or others withstand and rebound.

　　This study compared the family resilience of families that had experiencing a loss and those that had not. In addition, qualitative changes in relationships among family members and family functions after the loss were examined, and factors for family resilience during the process of recovering from a loss were investigated. The Family Resilience Scale (FRS) was administered to participants (n＝408, 264 women and 144 men). Participants who had experiencing a loss (n＝ 153, 100 women and 53 men) were asked about the details of that experience and they were asked to describe qualitative changes in the relationships among family members and family functions in their own words. Results indicated that individuals and families who had experiencing a loss had greater family resilience than those that had not experienced a loss. Moreover, nine factors for family resilience were identified as facilitating the family's recovery.