Attachment to God and Physical Health Outcomes in Spousal Bereavement

Spousal bereavement is often accompanied by large amounts of stress, greatly impacting an individual’s health both mentally and physically. The degree of stress brought about by spousal bereavement varies from person to person, and an individual’s attachment style likely affects their reaction. Similarly, attachment to God, which reflects the degree to which people perceive God as supportive and reliable, may also affect people’s reaction to losing a spouse. This thesis examines existing scientific literature to determine the connection between various attachment styles with God as the attachment figure and physical health outcomes arising from spousal bereavement. Previous research suggests that a negative relationship may exist between secure attachment to God and stress during spousal bereavement, suggesting that a secure attachment to God may positively influence physical health outcomes associated with the loss of a spouse.