Title:
Female Identity After Loss: How Image, Community, and Social Role Help Rebuild Women’s Lives

Authors:
Tetiana Artemeva, USA

Abstract:

The loss of a child is one of the most profound experiences a woman can face, affecting not only psychological well-being but also personal identity, social relationships, physical self-perception, and participation in professional and community life. During prolonged illness, caregiving, and bereavement, the maternal and caregiver role may become so dominant that other dimensions of a woman’s identity gradually recede.

This perspective article examines identity reconstruction after profound loss through several interconnected areas: reconnection with the body and personal image, renewed social participation, coaching and mentorship, supportive women’s communities, modeling as a form of self-expression, and charitable or socially meaningful activity.

Drawing on established psychological and sociological literature and the author’s personal and practical experience, the article argues that recovery should not necessarily be understood as a return to a woman’s previous identity. Instead, it may involve the development of a new identity in which the experience of loss is integrated into new values, relationships, goals, and social roles.

The article further proposes that psychological support, while essential, may be strengthened by opportunities for self-expression, community participation, renewed visibility, and meaningful contribution to others.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51505/ijmshr.2026.10413