Helping Survivors Find New Identity through an Innovative 'Identity Typology.'

This study looks at the influence of worldview on long-term survivors of loss and the subsequent identity these survivors assume years after the formal grieving process has occurred. Emphasis is placed on the perspective survivors develop over time. Information from nearly 80 survivors of childhood loss indicated that there are certain patterns in perception of time, values, priorities, and relationship to the world that lead to development of a new identity. The identity types are based on response patterns that emerged from five psychological and spiritual issues. These issues are the view of their own morality; sense of time; orientation towards time; values and priorities regarding people and the world around them; and their relationship to the world. Understanding the influence of these concepts on long-term survivors of loss offers professional ways to assist bereaved individuals in developing a healthy identity. Understanding the significance of worldview on survivors' long-term self-perception, values, and priorities may complement existing theories of loss and grieving about how survivors adapt to major life changes and relearn the world. The identity typology can serve as a tool for assessing and guiding bereaved clients towards finding intimacy, meaning, and fulfillment in their post-loss lives. (Contains 26 references.) (JDM)