Jodie Maurizia T. Mendoza, Agatha L. Antiporda, Emmanuel Thomas C. Batol, Bea Kiara D. De Los Santos, Rosselle H. Enriquez, Christine Joy S. Iratay, Andreb M. Mariazeta, Katelyn Nikae P. Petate, Allyssa Katrina M. Villanueva, Lorenzo I. Zorrilla
Background: Widowed individuals are often sidelined in healthcare, despite experiencing grief shaped by cultural, spiritual, social, and gendered factors. While global health efforts prioritize maternal and child health, this focus reveals a care gap for grieving individuals, whose needs remain largely invisible. Existing research on grief is Western-centric, overlooking how cultural and gender expectations influence bereavement in non-Western contexts like the Philippines. In local healthcare, grief responses often focus on visible symptoms, neglecting the deeper emotional and psychosocial impact of widowhood. This study explores how Filipino norms, gender roles, and support systems shape grieving and coping, synthesizing the participants’ lived experiences informing inclusive, culturally sensitive grief care practices in Philippine nursing and mental health.
Methods: This descriptive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of nine interviewed widowed individuals for at least 5 years in Quezon City, Philippines, selected through purposive sampling. Data were thematically analyzed. Trustworthiness was ensured through reflexivity, triangulation, member checking, and an audit trail. Ethical measures included informed consent, confidentiality, and psychological support.
Results: The study revealed themes underscoring the gendered nuances, physical symptoms, and emotional burden in grieving, the role of support systems, maladaptive coping mechanisms, and fragmented care in bereavement contexts. Filipino widows’ and widowers’ experiences reflect a quiet, culturally shaped resilience. Grief was not absent, but differently expressed—intertwined with caregiving roles, spiritual beliefs, and social expectations. These findings demonstrate that grief is complex, manifesting as a biopsychosocial process.
Conclusions: The study explored how culture, gender, and support systems shape grief among widowed Filipinos, revealing biopsychosocial impacts, gendered coping, and care gaps. Advocating culturally grounded, gender-responsive, community-based interventions in nursing, it aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 11 and answers a global call for shared solutions, emphasizing that recognizing grief as a mental health issue fosters inclusive, resilient healthcare systems.
