A Thematic Co-Occurrence Analysis of Communal Coping Within and Between Surviving Parents and Emerging-Adult Children After Partner/Parental Death

This study examines how surviving parents and emerging-adult children cope, both independently and communally, after the death of their partner/parent in a family unit. We collected data from 45 parent/emerging-adult child dyads who experienced partner/parental death within the previous three years to capture coping during bereavement. Dyads completed six weekly surveys, with short answer questions in weeks one, three, and five asking individuals to describe their coping behavior. We analyzed the responses using thematic co-occurrence analysis to identify themes and explore patterns within and between dyad members. Results revealed five theoretically aligned themes reflecting individual and communal coping behavior, as well as two identical patterns within themes for parents and children, and four patterns between parents and children. The results advance knowledge on communal coping and offer practical implications for bereaved parents and children.