Widowers’ Grief Experiences and Perceptions of Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Qualitative Study on Male Mental Health in Taiwan

AI Summary

Men prioritise paternal and familial responsibilities over emotional processing, subordinating grief to child-rearing and household duties.
Emotional restraint and internalised suffering manifest as loneliness and rationalised acceptance, reflecting cultural and masculine norms limiting expression.
Perceptions of prolonged grief disorder hinge on functional impairment and pragmatic help seeking aimed at restoring role performance and fulfilling moral duties.

AI Summary

This qualitative study explored widowers' grief experiences and perceptions of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in Taiwan, focusing on implications for male mental health. Four themes emerged: grief subordinated to paternal and familial responsibilities, with men prioritizing child-rearing and household duties over emotional processing; emotional restraint and internalized suffering, reflecting loneliness and rationalized acceptance of loss; functional impairment as the threshold for disorder, with grief seen as problematic primarily when daily functioning was disrupted; and help-seeking framed as pragmatic responsibility, with medical intervention pursued to restore role performance or fulfill moral duties to the deceased. These findings provide insights into male grief in an East Asian context and highlight the importance of culturally sensitive interventions that support role continuity, adaptive coping, and awareness of male mental health.

Basic summary

Am J Mens Health. 2026 May-Jun;20(3):15579883261453352. doi: 10.1177/15579883261453352. Epub 2026 May 29.

ABSTRACT

The death of a spouse is a major life stressor for men, yet cultural and gender norms shape how grief is experienced and expressed. This qualitative study explored widowers’ grief experiences and perceptions of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in Taiwan, focusing on implications for male mental health. Eighteen widowers were recruited from five outpatient clinics and interviewed using a semi-structured guide, and data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach based on Giorgi’s method. Four themes emerged: grief subordinated to paternal and familial responsibilities, with men prioritizing child-rearing and household duties over emotional processing; emotional restraint and internalized suffering, reflecting loneliness and rationalized acceptance of loss; functional impairment as the threshold for disorder, with grief seen as problematic primarily when daily functioning was disrupted; and help-seeking framed as pragmatic responsibility, with medical intervention pursued to restore role performance or fulfill moral duties to the deceased. An outlier case highlighted variability in marital intimacy and grief intensity. Participants’ perceptions of PGD were guided by functional impact rather than grief duration alone, and masculine and cultural norms shaped coping and help-seeking. These findings provide insights into male grief in an East Asian context and highlight the importance of culturally sensitive interventions that support role continuity, adaptive coping, and awareness of male mental health.

PMID:42216469 | DOI:10.1177/15579883261453352

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