GRIEF AND FINITUDE FROM A PHENOMENOLOGICAL-EXISTENTIAL PERSPECTIVE: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF REFLECTIONS ON THE EXPERIENCE OF LOSS AND THE MEANING OF EXISTENCE

Abstract

Grief involves changes in relationships, identity, and everyday participation following the death of a significant person. The phenomenological-existential perspective allows these changes to be examined with attention to the uniqueness of lived experience and the meanings attributed to loss. This study aimed to analyze grief and its relationships with finitude and the meaning of existence from this perspective. An integrative literature review was conducted using the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and PubMed, considering publications from 2021 to 2026. The analysis included 12 articles and was organized into five categories addressing loss, finitude, phenomenological-existential foundations, existential reconstruction, and psychological support. Findings indicated continuing bonds with the deceased, changes in temporal experience, and identity transformations, with differences related to the circumstances of death and the social context. The study concluded that continuing to live can coexist with longing and suffering, without following a uniform sequence of responses. Psychological support should consider these particularities and avoid predetermined interpretations of how bereaved individuals should live.