Together in silence: Commemoration, rituals, and coping with war experiences and loss

Abstract

In response to distressing events and personal losses, people often gather to remember and commemorate. Commemorations are assumed to support those affected by disruptive events to cope with their experiences. Yet, remembering stressful events may also increase negative feelings or re-experiences of the past. This dissertation sheds light on the individual impact of collective commemorations and ritual performances in relation to mental health. It aims to increase our understanding of the relationship between commemorating, clinical symptoms (such as posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief), and emotional responses. Furthermore, the aim is to unravel for whom and under what circumstances commemorations can contribute to coping with war experiences and loss. Findings of six studies, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods, are presented. The first part focuses on collective commemorative gatherings in society that are organised in the aftermath of war, large-scale violence or genocide. Specific attention is given to the experiences of children and war-affected immigrants during Dutch Remembrance Day, a commemoration rooted in World War II. Part two centres around funeral services and grief ritual performances to remember the loss of a loved one, including the experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, this dissertation reveals that despite increased stress-related symptoms and negative feelings, collective commemorations can be very meaningful to individuals and societies. Experiencing support, connectedness, recognition, and meaning making are key in strengthening positive feelings, through which commemorations may contribute to coping with war experiences and loss. The findings offer important implications and recommendations for future research, clinical practice, policy-making and institutions responsible for organising commemorations.