The use of physical objects in mourning by midlife daughters who have lost their mothe

This is a qualitative study that explored the use of physical objects in mourning by midlife daughters who had lost their mothers. The study's purpose was to discover and explore the unique and common understandings of midlife women who used physical objects in mourning after their mother's expected deaths. The study assumed an interpretative phenomenological approach. This approach facilitated the acquisition of a deeper understanding and a greater knowledge of the daughter's intentions and their lived experience.;Twelve midlife women were interviewed in-depth for the study, and narrative data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed. Keeping four study questions in mind, particular attention was directed toward understanding object descriptions, meanings, relational themes and references to maternal internalization. The thematic findings from the study fell into three domains of understanding. These were: (1) overarching themes related to object use; (2) relational themes; and (3) internalization themes. Psychodynamic object relations theory and in particular the theoretical contributions of Margaret Mahler, Vladmik Volkan, and Donald Winnicott figure prominently in linking the findings from this study to existing theoretical formulations.