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The Death-Rebirth Adaptation Framework (DRAF): A Conceptual Model for Understanding Symbolic Loss and Identity Reconstruction Beyond Bereavement
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Psychology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1720212
Abstract
While grief research has traditionally focused on bereavement and physical death, individuals often experience profound psychological distress following non-mortal losses such as academic failure, employee layoffs, business collapse, relationship dissolution, and career derailment. These experiences frequently involve the loss of identity, future aspirations, social status, and self-worth, resulting in reactions that resemble grief processes. Existing frameworks, including the Kübler-Ross model, provide valuable insights but remain limited in explaining adaptation and identity reconstruction following symbolic losses. This paper proposes the Death-Rebirth Adaptation Framework (DRAF), a five-stage conceptual model consisting of Identity Shock, Resistance, Meaning Crisis, Adaptation, and Rebirth. The framework integrates concepts from grief theory, transition theory, identity theory, resilience theory, and post-traumatic growth theory to explain how individuals navigate non-mortal losses and reconstruct their identities. The paper contributes a novel theoretical perspective that extends grief research beyond bereavement and provides a foundation for future empirical investigations in education, organizational studies, psychology, and human-computer interaction.
Keywords
Symbolic Loss, Symbolic Death, Grief Beyond Bereavement, Identity Disruption, Identity Reconstruction, Meaning Reconstruction, Psychological Adaptation, Resilience, Post-Traumatic Growth.
How to cite this paper
@article{1720212,
author = {Onyemowo Grace Ugbaha},
title = {The Death-Rebirth Adaptation Framework (DRAF): A Conceptual Model for Understanding Symbolic Loss and Identity Reconstruction Beyond Bereavement},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {3733-3749},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1720212.pdf},
abstract = {While grief research has traditionally focused on bereavement and physical death, individuals often experience profound psychological distress following non-mortal losses such as academic failure, employee layoffs, business collapse, relationship dissolution, and career derailment. These experiences frequently involve the loss of identity, future aspirations, social status, and self-worth, resulting in reactions that resemble grief processes. Existing frameworks, including the Kübler-Ross model, provide valuable insights but remain limited in explaining adaptation and identity reconstruction following symbolic losses. This paper proposes the Death-Rebirth Adaptation Framework (DRAF), a five-stage conceptual model consisting of Identity Shock, Resistance, Meaning Crisis, Adaptation, and Rebirth. The framework integrates concepts from grief theory, transition theory, identity theory, resilience theory, and post-traumatic growth theory to explain how individuals navigate non-mortal losses and reconstruct their identities. The paper contributes a novel theoretical perspective that extends grief research beyond bereavement and provides a foundation for future empirical investigations in education, organizational studies, psychology, and human-computer interaction.},
keywords = {Symbolic Loss, Symbolic Death, Grief Beyond Bereavement, Identity Disruption, Identity Reconstruction, Meaning Reconstruction, Psychological Adaptation, Resilience, Post-Traumatic Growth.},
month = {July},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1720212}
}