The Role of Private Religious Practices, Spiritual Mindfulness, and Years Since Loss on Perceived Growth in Widowed Adults.

Private religiosity can lead to perceived growth after bereavement, but little is known about the role of mindfulness and the time since loss in widowed adults. Using data from the second panel of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS), this study examined adults (n = 250) who were married one time and became widowed. Results showed that spiritual mindfulness moderated the effect of private religious practices on personal growth, and that the association between spiritual mindfulness and positive reinterpretation was moderated by time since loss. A high level of spiritual mindfulness seems to benefit widowed adults’ personal growth and positive reinterpretation. Additionally, the greater time since loss the more positive is the association between mindfulness and positive reinterpretation. No difference was found in means between widowed adults and a matched control group of non-widowed adults (n = 250) on personal growth and positive reinterpretation.