The meaning and experience of spirituality amongst women experiencing bereavement following partners‘ suicide

The suicide of a loved one is an event that affects various areas of life, triggering both grief and often traumatic reactions. One of the most painful and complex losses is the suicide of a life partner (spouse or romantic partner). Spirituality, understood as a multidimensional phenomenon related to the search for the sacred, can be an important factor in grieving after the suicide of a loved one. It is important to explore when and how subjective spirituality helps during grief, as well as the instances when individuals experience spiritual crisis and how those who grieve the suicide of a loved one perceive and experience spirituality. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation research was to reveal and describe the experiences related to spirituality in women who have experienced the suicide of their spouse/partner. A qualitative research strategy was conducted, involving interviews with 11 women who had lost their life partners to suicide 2-5 years prior. The research data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study revealed that women grieving the suicide of their partner perceive spirituality as a multidimensional phenomenon and believe that what spirituality means to each individual is significant, as it can encompass a wide range of definitions, practices, and traditions. It was also found that experiences related to spirituality during grief after the suicide of a partner vary from being helpful to hindering the grieving process