In my master's thesis I deal with the topic of sources and forms of help for partners of dying and deceased people, their perception, feelings and the burden of the bereaved after the death of their partner. Through interviews, I explore their feelings after the death of their partner, their views on death, the forms of help they seek, and the forms of help they need. I also talk about the general changes in society that would be necessary for bereaved people to get the help and support they need. I selected the interviewees with a non-random sample based on their interest and willingness to talk, as the topic of the thesis requires.
In the first part of the master's thesis, I focus on the definitions of death and grief, then I continue with the loss of a partner, where I write about the plight of the bereaved, the impact of personal circumstances on the perception and acceptance of death, and the challenges of grief. Furthermore, I address the help available to mourners in society to overcome the hardship of death, or what should help them overcome adversity. In this context, I also refer to the role of palliative and long-term care, which represents a major and important step in the field of helping the bereaved. Finally, I write about the potentially important role of social work in providing help and support to the bereaved.
In the second part of the master's thesis, I present the results of a qualitative study showing that bereaved individuals experience a unique burden at death that affects all areas of their lives. The majority believe that death is easier to accept when it is expected. The social network is formed mainly by family, but also by friends. For all mourners in the study, the extent of the social network changed after the death of the partner - for most of them it decreased. Most of them were social in their grief - they all relied on family and some on friends. Many mourners also helped themselves with various activities during grief. Some used informal help, while others felt the need for help from professionals. Some turned to the nonprofit organization Hospice, others to a psychotherapist or psychologist. Some did not seek help because they did not need it, as they had enough informal help. Some indicated that their immediate environment did not understand them and did not want to talk about the deceased. Therefore, they also wished that they were listened to more during their grief. Most respondents felt that there is a lack of public discourse in our society about possible ways to help the bereaved.
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