PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF WIDOWHOOD: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL DIMENSIONS IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR

Abstract

Relevance. In the context of war, the number of widows and widowers in Ukraine is steadily increasing; however, the issue of adaptation to widowhood remains largely unexplored in Ukrainian academic research. International studies on widowhood mostly focus on elderly people, addressing the role of financial challenges and mental health issues among widows and widowers. However, we have found no research examining widowhood at a young age, which is characteristic of many contemporary Ukrainian widows of fallen soldiers.

The purpose of this paper is to present the theoretical and practical aspects of the issue of widowhood in wartime.

Methodology. The author applied the following theoretical research methods: analysis of scientific sources, systems analysis, synthesis, generalization of theoretical and practical observations, along with classification and specification.

Results. Widowhood brings about numerous economic, social, and psychological challenges, especially within the first year or so following the spouse’s death. A woman who has lost her husband undergoes a process of grieving and adaptation that affects all areas of her life. The experience of loss has a specific trajectory, with four primary tasks that need to be addressed during grief: (1) acknowledging the loss; (2) openly experiencing and expressing feelings; (3) developing skills to act independently in areas of life where the deceased had significant influence; and (4) forming new emotional connections.

Conclusions. Key factors in adapting to widowhood and processing grief include the individual psychological characteristics of the woman and the nature of her relationship with her partner. The primary stages of working with widows encompass three phases: the first is individualized psychological support during acute grief; the second is individualized support as the woman transitions out of the acute phase; and the third phase involves group psychological work with women who have moved through acute grief, stabilized, and are ready to engage in mutual support groups with other widows.