Grief in later life: symbolic losses and unsolicited gains following the death of a same-gender partner

Existing literature has identified that the death of a partner in later life is often accompanied by changes in the personal circumstances of the bereaved. However, the consequences following the death of a same-gender partner have attracted limited research attention. The present study aimed to investigate the consequent changes caused by the death of a same-gender partner in later life. Six gay men and four lesbians who had lost a same-gender partner shared their experiences during semi-structured interviews at two stages. Participants’ ages ranged between 56 and 82 years and they all resided in Australia. We used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify common themes in the interview data. Symbolic losses were the first common theme. In addition to the physical loss of their partners, participants grieved the loss of their relationship status, sense of power and control and friendship networks. The second theme concerned the unsolicited gains they acquired through the experience of bereavement. The positive changes that participants reported included personal growth, new meanings, unique opportunities and mental respite strategies. The contrasting identified themes highlight the range of changes experienced by bereaved same-gender partners. Further research into the impact of grief on subsequent relationships is warranted.