Resilience around severe experiences of loss in daily life

• Period: January 2023 – December 2025 
• Status: ongoing

This research focuses on the prevention of sequential problems after loss-related life events in adults and elderly people. It focuses on the everyday experiences of resilience in people who have lost a loved one, become a carer of someone with mental or physical health problems, or face serious health problems themselves.

Description

The research provides knowledge about the complexity of factors that interact with each other in everyday processes of resilience. This knowledge is used to develop methodologies and guidelines that help professionals and volunteers be present at the right time with the right resilience-building intervention.

The research project takes place in close cooperation with the target group, professionals and volunteers in welfare and care.

Researchers

• prof. dr. Anja Machielse (project leader/promotor)
• Chloe Beeris MSc (researcher/PhD student)
• dr. Alistair Niemeijer (co-promotor)

Partners

The research is conducted in collaboration with ErWelzijn. 

(Co-)funding

ZonMw, programme Preventie in transitie: Complexiteit omarmen en veerkracht versterken

Results

• Article: “From my life, she will never be gone, even though she is no longer here” – a single case interpretative phenomenological analysis on spousal loss and resilience
• Article: Count Your Life by Smiles and Tears: An Integrative Review on Resilience and Growing Older.

Contact

Prof. dr. Anja Machielse, A.Machielse@UvH.nl.