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Submitted
September 28, 2025
Accepted
March 1, 2026
Published
April 21, 2026
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Abstract

Grief is a universal concept; however, it manifests uniquely in Nigeria due to cultural practices
and religious influences. Much of the literature on grief focuses on Western perspectives; thus,
there is a need for further research on complex experiences in Nigeria. The research describes
how the Nigerian community manages grief and how cultural, religious, and psychosocial factors
shape it. It focuses mainly on two ethnic groups in Nigeria: Igbo and Yoruba.
This study adopted an interpretive phenomenological research design to identify and understand
the distinct coping mechanisms employed by Nigerians for grief. Eleven participants aged 18-40
years from the southwest and southeast geopolitical zones of Nigeria were recruited for the study.
Using the voluntary response sampling technique, seven individuals with first-hand experience
of grief were selected, while four cultural experts were recruited using the purposive sampling
technique. In-depth interviews were conducted with each participant and expert. 
Data analysis revealed many strategies that influence the Nigerian community’s management of
grief. These include cultural and religious influences, proverbs and songs, emotional expression
and regulation, and social support networks during grief. All these factors have had a considerable
influence on shaping strategies for coping with grief in the Nigerian community.

Keywords

Grief Grief Coping Strategies Grief Support Berievement Africa Funeral Songs

Article Details

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Copyright (c) 2026 Bushura Aroyewun, OLADOTUN, Tomiwa Emmanuel Ajao

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite
Aroyewun, B., ADEYEMO, S., & Emmanuel Ajao, T. (2026). Cultural, Religious and Psychosocial Factors Shaping Grief Coping Strategies in the Nigerian Community: A Thematic Analysis. Pan-African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 6(3), 108–123. https://doi.org/10.56893/pajes2025v06i03.07
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