Event Centrality and Bereavement Symptomatology: The Moderating Role of Meaning Made

Abstract

The centrality of a loss to a bereaved individual’s identity is associated with greater symptomatology, whereas meaning made of a loss is associated with positive outcomes. This article examines meaning made as a moderator of the relationship between event centrality and symptomatology. Our sample consisted of 204 bereaved undergraduate university students. Centrality was assessed using the Centrality of Events Scale, meaning made was assessed using the Integration of Stressful Life Experiences Scale, and symptomatology was assessed using the posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist-Civilian and Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised. Meaning made had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between centrality and both measures of symptomatology. At lower levels of meaning made, centrality had a strong and positive association with symptomatology; at higher levels of meaning made, this association became weaker. These results suggest that meaning made is the key to understanding how centrality affects bereavement outcomes.