Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Children suffering grief or loss'

The effect of grief on children with autism is an under-researched area of study. Until recently, it was often assumed that individuals with autism did not have the capacity to grieve. Because of deficits in social skills, interpersonal relationships, and language and communication skills, these individuals are especially vulnerable as they navigate the challenging social and emotional aspects associated with bereavement and grief. Bibliotherapy is offered as supportive strategy for bereaved children, providing them with structure and guidance through a time of uncertainty and change. This study is based on two focus groups, one with teachers of children with autism (n = 8) and one with parents of children with autism (n = 5). Researchers focused on the purpose of supporting children in grades K–3 through the death of a loved one or pet. Focus group participants discussed their perceptions of how this special population of children grieves and how to support them following a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one or beloved pet. After reviewing selected resources (supportive stories), participants offered their impressions regarding the appropriateness and potential effectiveness of the resources. Focus groups were audiotaped and later transcribed. Transcriptions were carefully reviewed and discussed by two individuals to identify and summarize themes. After summarizing the information from the transcriptions and organizing the information, one individual served as a quality check, to verify the accuracy of the findings. Additionally, a member check was offered to participants to assure accuracy in the typed transcripts (for intended meaning and content). The following information and recommendations are presented based on the input from the focus group participants. Three overarching themes were identified in this study, as well as some specific cautions and warnings. Participants emphasized the importance of individualization in the selection of stories for children with autism. Readers should be aware of the child’s specific needs and circumstances when they are selecting a story. The stories should be developmentally appropriate and should help support the child through the specific type of death or loss that has occurred. Participants also discussed the importance of selecting books that are concrete, simple, and structured. As children with autism often have difficulty with abstract concepts, the topic of death and loss should be approached in a concrete and literal way. Books that present information in this manner will best help the child to understand their experience. Practitioners who use bibliotherapy to support children with autism through a death or loss should be sensitive to family beliefs. Open communication should be used with the child’s family in order to select a book that best fits that child’s needs. Children with autism will also benefit from stories that help to normalize their experience and that help them to understand the emotions that they or their family and friends may experience. Future research is recommended to further explore the use of supportive stories in aiding a child with autism through the grief and loss process. It is important to examine how children with autism respond to the selected stories and to understand how effective the stories are in their coping and understanding process.

Few efforts have been made to understand the subjective experiences of birthparents involved in the child welfare system, especially of those who have had their parental rights permanently removed. The research undertaken seeks an initial investigation of this neglected issue, providing accounts of four birthmothers' experiences of having one or more of their children involuntarily and permanently removed from their care as a result of child neglect. Implicit in this research is the assumption that these mothers do indeed suffer tremendous grief over the loss of their children, regardless of child welfare agencies' assessments of their parenting capacities. Furthermore, the research critically evaluates how child welfare practice and policy might serve to exacerbate incumbent issues of loss, ultimately disenfranchising this already isolated and stigmatized population. Therefore, this qualitative study endeavours to assist not only child protection workers, but also the greater community in better understanding what it is like to be a "child welfare parent" who has had her parental rights terminated, and to be aware of the existing imbalance of power between child welfare agencies and the clientele they serve. The study ultimately aims to help ensure that human dignity and genuine respect are not lost in the work of child protection.

This study researches the journey of transformative learning experiences of adult men and women who have adopted a positive attitude in dealing with challenging and life-threatening issues. By applying a Western grief model and the principles of “living the present moment” and “letting go” derived from Buddhist psychology, this study aims to identify ways to transform mental suffering and grieving into positive energy that may help to provide comfort to individuals in despair.

The research paradigm is transpersonal and the method of this study is narrative analysis. A combination of face-to-face and telephone interviews as well as email exchanges with eight individuals who shared their personal experiences in adopting a positive attitude in overcoming difficult situations were employed. These participants have battled and conquered their unique life-challenging situations.

The stories of these individuals document their challenges with grief and include insights learned from these experiences and the ways in which they transformed these experiences into catalysts for positive energy. Seven themes became evident and significant in their journey in coping with suffering, and paved the way for their transformational learning experiences. They are: a) Reaching acceptance, b) the importance of a support network, c) making meanings of suffering, d) impermanence, e) letting go of the past, f) living in the present moment, and g) spirituality. It is hoped that this transformational learning experience will enable other people from diverse demographic, professional, and cultural backgrounds to embrace a Western grief model in combination with Buddhist psychology to better cope with their loss or grieving, and help them to understand the opportunity for growth these life challenges can present.

Everyone experiences loss and difficult challenges in the course of a lifetime. How we view and react to them determines the effect they have on the rest of our lives. This study will contribute to the need for more research in this area by asking the following question: “How do actions derived from Buddhist principles help to alleviate suffering among people facing challenges of change?”

Bereavement, an unavoidable event in everyone’s life, brings endless missing, grief, and suffering to people. Among all kinds of bereavement, losing a child is considered the most sorrowful and traumatizing. It is extremely difficult for parents who lose a child to recover from their deepest pain. On May 12, 2008, an earthquake, measuring 8.0 Ms, occurred in Wenchuan, Sichuan province, China. The earthquake killed more than 70,000 people and left about 20,000 missing. During the earthquake, some school buildings collapsed and as a result, hundreds of students died. Their parents experienced overwhelming bereavement. To understand what bereaved mothers experience and how they cope with bereavement after the loss of children, the author conducted this longitudinal study based on the dual process model of coping with bereavement (DPM), and applied qualitative inquiry using interpretative phenomenological analysis. In this study, the author has reported on her 4 waves of interviews with these parents, regarding how they coped with grief over 2 years. The author conducted 4 waves of in-depth, face-to-face interviews with mothers who lost their children during the Wenchuan earthquake (N= 43). The findings reveal that three levels of stresses exist in these bereaved mothers’ (BMs) grief experiences, including individual, family, and society levels. On the individual level, they experienced not only emotional distress, such as overwhelming grief, despair, and anger, but they also experienced cognitive distresses, such as regret, guilt, meaninglessness and hopelessness. On the family level, BMs experienced various stresses, such as family incompleteness, despair of their family life, and tensions with their spouses. On the society level, these BMs experienced pressure from social expectations and public opinion. They felt segregated and detached from their social networks. Life became meaningless to these BMs, resulting in suicidal thoughts. These BMs practiced a variety of coping strategies to deal with their endless grief and stresses in their daily lives. These BMs actively worked through their grief and negative emotions. They adjusted their cognition to deal with their children’s deaths, and made efforts to reconstruct their lives; through things like having another child, rebuilding their life purpose, and rebuilding relationships with others. Avoidance strategies included proactive avoidance and reactive avoidance coping. Respite was manifested in the BMs temporarily devoting themselves to other things in order to distract themselves from tremendous bereavement. This study verifies and enriches the DPM in the Chinese socio-cultural context, while indicating suggestions for social work practice and social policy.
published_or_final_version
Social Work and Social Administration
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

To date, researchers who have explored the complexity of childhood bereavement have utilized unstandardized assessment instruments and/or have independently evaluated specific constructs rather than factoring in the dimensionality of loss. The purpose of this study was to use parents' completion of established instruments--the Child Behavior Checklist and the Parenting Stress Index--to examine the multivariate shared relationship between characteristics of bereaved children referred for counseling--their ages, genders, ethnicities, types of loss, and life stressors--and their behavioral manifestations as well as the relationship between these characteristics and levels of parent-child relational stress. Utilizing archival clinical files, I examined these characteristics from bereaved children (N = 98) whose parents sought counseling services from two university-based counseling clinics. The sample consisted of 67 boys and 31 girls between the ages 3 and 11 years old (M = 6.28). The majority of participants (67%, n = 66) identified as Caucasian, 10% (n = 10) as African American, 10% (n = 10) as Hispanic/Latino, 6% as Bi-racial (n = 6), 4% as Native American (n = 4), and 2% as Asian (n = 2). A canonical correlational analyses (CCA) was conducted to examine relationship between characteristics of children and their subsequent behavioral manifestations. The full model was found to be statistically significant using the Wilks’s λ = .611 criterion, F(25, 328.41) = 1.862, p = .008. The R2 type effect size was .389, which indicates the full model explains about 39% of the variance shared between the two variable sets. A second CCA was conducted to explore the relationship between characteristics of bereaved children and levels of parent-child relational stress. The full model was found statistically to be significant using the Wilks’s λ = .790 criterion, F(10, 154) = 1.926, p = .045. The R2 type effect size was .210, which indicates the full model explains about 21% of the variance shared between the two variable sets. Overall, correlational findings from this study provided insight into bereaved children’s manifestations of loss and levels of parent-child relational stress as contingent upon specific characteristics. Specifically, results indicated a strong relationship between age and bereaved children’s behavioral manifestations. This finding reinforced the importance for clinicians to understand developmental implications when working with bereaved children. Furthermore, caregivers who reported minimal overall external stressors also reported less parent-child relational interference. This finding further emphasizes the importance for caregivers to maintain utmost stability for bereaved children.

This study aims to discover the meaning that primary school children place on the loss of a parent and the impact it has on the children’s lives. As it is an emotive topic, and because of the difficulties of interviewing children, qualitative techniques of research data collection are considered the most appropriate. The study will explore, discover and describe children’s personal experiences of loss in a phenomenological and contextual manner. The sample in the study will be selected according to non-probability and purposive sampling techniques. Because children are being interviewed, the researcher will ethically approach gatekeepers for permission, and gain their informed consent. Data will be collected using semi-structured interviews, in which the researcher will interact with the interviewees in a natural setting. Data analysis will be done according to Tesch’s eight steps for analysing qualitative research data (Creswell, 1994:155). Once this process has been completed, the data will be verified against the four criteria that Guba (in Krefting, 1991:214-222) developed for testing the trustworthiness of qualitative research findings. The results of the study, as well as conclusions and recommendations drawn from the data, will be disseminated by means of a written report.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2005.
Title from title screen. Frank J Floyd, committee chair; Martha A. Foster, Lawrence P. Riso, Gregory J. Jurkovic, committee members. Electronic text (121 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed June 12, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p.104-121).

Introdução: Apesar do progresso da oncologia pediátrica, ainda existem pacientes que não atingem a cura. Estudos mostram que estes recebem tratamento agressivo no fim da vida, sem controle efetivo dos sintomas, com sofrimento significativo. O cuidador familiar é fonte preciosa de informações conforme a morte da criança se aproxima. No entanto, as impressões parentais podem não refletir precisamente a experiência da criança, pois presenciar sofrimento pressupõe sofrimento. Talvez isso explique a discordância entre o relato dos pais e os registros médicos. A convivência com o sofrimento do filho morrendo permanece gravado na memória dos pais. Acreditar que o filho morreu sofrendo pode levar a morbidade psicológica e interferir no futuro deles. Avaliou-se a percepção dos pais sobre os sintomas que afetaram o bem estar dos seus filhos no fim da vida, comparou-se com os dados da equipe médica e relacionaram-se as circunstâncias em que a morte ocorreu com transtornos de humor e presença de luto complicado. Material e métodos: em 2012 entramos em contato com 250 famílias que perderam o filho no período de 2000 a 2010, em um Hospital especializado, no interior do Brasil, que realiza atendimento através do sistema governamental. A pesquisa foi conduzida através de questionários auto-aplicáveis enviados pelos correios. Resultados: tivemos a participação de 60 cuidadores com tempo de luto variando entre 14 e 80 meses. Esses relataram média de 12 sintomas que afetaram o bem estar dos filhos na última semana de vida, sem concordância quando comparado com os dados registrados pela equipe médica, até mesmo para o sintoma dor. Esses pais apresentam altos níveis de ansiedade e depressão (74,0% e 81,0% respectivamente) e altos níveis de luto complicado (38,0% com luto baixo/ausente, 12,0% com luto adiado e 34,0% como luto prolongado). Os maiores escores de luto atual foram evidenciados entre os cuidadores casados, com idade variando entre 30-39 anos, analfabetos, assalariados, com outras religiões que não a católica, pertencente às classes econômicas C/D/E, que tiveram um filho único, que está há mais de 72 meses de luto, cujo filho tinha no momento do óbito idade entre 12 e 18 anos, era portador de tumor de SNC, estava em tratamento com intenção curativa e faleceu na enfermaria. Evidenciamos correlação entre a carga de sintomas referida pelos médicos com luto passado e luto presente. Analisando as Introdução: Apesar do progresso da oncologia pediátrica, ainda existem pacientes que não atingem a cura. Estudos mostram que estes recebem tratamento agressivo no fim da vida, sem controle efetivo dos sintomas, com sofrimento significativo. O cuidador familiar é fonte preciosa de informações conforme a morte da criança se aproxima. No entanto, as impressões parentais podem não refletir precisamente a experiência da criança, pois presenciar sofrimento pressupõe sofrimento. Talvez isso explique a discordância entre o relato dos pais e os registros médicos. A convivência com o sofrimento do filho morrendo permanece gravado na memória dos pais. Acreditar que o filho morreu sofrendo pode levar a morbidade psicológica e interferir no futuro deles. Avaliou-se a percepção dos pais sobre os sintomas que afetaram o bem estar dos seus filhos no fim da vida, comparou-se com os dados da equipe médica e relacionaram-se as circunstâncias em que a morte ocorreu com transtornos de humor e presença de luto complicado. Material e métodos: em 2012 entramos em contato com 250 famílias que perderam o filho no período de 2000 a 2010, em um Hospital especializado, no interior do Brasil, que realiza atendimento através do sistema governamental. A pesquisa foi conduzida através de questionários auto-aplicáveis enviados pelos correios. Resultados: tivemos a participação de 60 cuidadores com tempo de luto variando entre 14 e 80 meses. Esses relataram média de 12 sintomas que afetaram o bem estar dos filhos na última semana de vida, sem concordância quando comparado com os dados registrados pela equipe médica, até mesmo para o sintoma dor. Esses pais apresentam altos níveis de ansiedade e depressão (74,0% e 81,0% respectivamente) e altos níveis de luto complicado (38,0% com luto baixo/ausente, 12,0% com luto adiado e 34,0% como luto prolongado). Os maiores escores de luto atual foram evidenciados entre os cuidadores casados, com idade variando entre 30-39 anos, analfabetos, assalariados, com outras religiões que não a católica, pertencente às classes econômicas C/D/E, que tiveram um filho único, que está há mais de 72 meses de luto, cujo filho tinha no momento do óbito idade entre 12 e 18 anos, era portador de tumor de SNC, estava em tratamento com intenção curativa e faleceu na enfermaria. Evidenciamos correlação entre a carga de sintomas referida pelos médicos com luto passado e luto presente. Analisando as variáveis relacionadas ao luto presente evidenciou-se forte correlação positiva com o luto passado, com ansiedade e depressão e correlação negativa com o tempo de cuidados paliativos. Como fatores preditores na análise de regressão múltipla evidenciaram-se o luto passado e a depressão. Conclusão: Os pais relataram grande sofrimento dos filhos no fim da vida, sem concordância com os dados da equipe médica. Dois terços dos cuidadores apresentam sintomas de ansiedade e depressão e 84% apresentaram alguma reação de luto complicado. Evidenciou-se forte correlação positiva do luto presente com o luto passado, com ansiedade e depressão e a com a carga de sintomas referida pelos médicos e correlação negativa com o tempo de cuidados paliativos
Introduction: Despite all the progress in pediatric oncology, there are still patients who cannot achieve cure. Studies show that they receive aggressive treatment in the end of life, with no effective control of symptoms, and endure considerable suffering. The family caregiver is a precious source of information as the death of the child approaches. Parental impressions may not reflect accurately the child\'s experience due to the fact that witnessing suffering implies in suffering. This may explain the discrepancy between the parents\' reports and the medical records. Living with a dying child remains engraved in the parents\' memories. Believing that their child died in pain may lead to psychological morbidity and interfere in their future. Parental perception on the symptoms that affected the well- being of the child in the end of life was evaluated and compared with medical data, and the circumstances in which death occurred were related with mood swings and the presence of complicated grief. Material and methods: In 2012, 250 families that had lost a child between the years of 2000 and 2010, in a specialized, public hospital in Brazil, were contacted. A survey was carried out through self- applied questionnaires sent by mail. Results: 60 caregivers with time of mourning ranging between 14 and 80 months reported, on average, 12 symptoms that affected the well-being of their children on their last week of life, and these reports did not agree with the data recorded by the medical team. These parents present with high levels of anxiety and depression (74.0% and 81.0% respectively), as well as complicated grief (38.0% absent/ low grief, 12.0% delayed grief and 34.0% prolonged grief). The highest grief scores were seen among the caregivers who met the following parameters: married, age range between 30 and 39, illiterate, minimum wage and social class C/D/E. They had also been mourning the loss of their only child, who was between 12 and 18 years old at the time of death, had CNS tumor, was treated with curative intention and died in the infirmary. There was evident correlation between the burden of symptoms referred by the doctors with past and present grief. When the variables related to present grief were analyzed, there was strong positive correlation with past grief, showing anxiety and depression; and negative correlation with palliative care time. As predictor factors in the multiple regression analysis, past grief and depression were evident. Conclusion: Parents related great suffering of their children in the end of life, which did not agree with the medical data. Two thirds of the caregivers present symptoms of anxiety and depression and 84.0% present some reaction of complicated grief. There was strong positive correlation between present and past grief with anxiety and depression, and with the burden of symptoms referred by doctors, and negative correlation with palliative care time

Tidigare forskning gällande barn som förlorat en förälder genom dödsfall pekar på att det finns tydliga tendenser att fokus ofta läggs på den kvarvarande föräldern och att barnet många gånger kommer i skymundan eller glöms bort. Syftet med studien är att undersöka professionellas uppfattningar och yrkeserfarenheter om barns behov av stödinsatser då en förälder avlidit. Studiens teoretiska ansatser är; det salutogena perspektivet, ”den nya barndomssociologin” samt den konstruktivistiska struktureringsteorin. Metoden fenomenografi har använts för att fånga professionellas uppfattningar och materialet har samlats in genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet och slutsatserna visar att professionella utgår från någon form av modell i sitt arbete och modellen vägleder den professionelle i hur barnet kan få information, råd och stöd. Barnets behov av stöd är oftast att finna nya strategier, för att hantera sin vardag och för att skapa en identitet utan ena föräldern. Olika stödinsatser kan hjälpa barnet att avdramatisera och normalisera sina känslor då en förälder avlidit. Ambitionen för de professionella är att lyssna till det enskilda barnet och dennes familjesituation. Detta eftersom barn inte är en homogen grupp och för att på bästa sätt tillmötesgå det behov av stöd det enskilda barnet har. Det viktigaste är att barnet inte upplever att denne även förlorar närvaron och omsorgen från den kvarvarande föräldern genom förälderns egen sorgebearbetning.
Previous research of children with parental loss shows visible tendencies that focus is on remaining parent and that the child easily tends to fall in shadow or becomes forgotten. The study aims to investigate professional´s views and experiences of children´s needs for support when losing a parent. The theoretical views of the study are; the perspective of salutogenic, ”the new sociology of childhood” and the theory of structuration in a constructive perspective. The study was performed with a phenomenographic methodological approach to capture professional´s views and experiences and the material consists of seven semi-structured interviews. The result and conclusions shows that professionals proceed from some kind of model in their work and the model then guide the professionals in giving information, support and advice to the child. The child´s needs of support is mainly to find new strategies to deal with everyday life and the creation of identity when losing a parent. Different inputs of supports can help the child to defuse and normalise their expression of emotions in losing a parent. The ambition of the professionals is to listen to the child in order to meet each individual child and his/hers family situation, since children are not an homogenous group, their needs also vary. Most important is that the child doesn´t feel that he/she also is losing the remaining parent´s attendance and caring for him/her, through the parent´s own grieving process.

Il s'agit d'étudier la rencontre entre le vécu intime du deuil et sa réception collective. en effet, qu'est-ce que vivre un deuil ? c'est souffrir de la mort d'un être proche et aimé et devoir s'adapter à l'absence, se réorganiser. mais les évolutions possibles d'un deuil sont variées et dépendent largement de facteurs extérieurs. la notion d'attachement dont la perte d'un être cher est la rupture physique laisse subsister une relation vitale d'un genre particulier qui est appelée à évoluer et qui constitue le deuil. le deuil concerne un fait psychologique qui possède sa mécanique et ses enjeux existentiels propres mais il ne nous coupe pas du monde et nous pousse au contraire à aborder autrui de façon différente, nouvelle. cette épreuve qui relève de l'intime, qui bouleverse le moi profond change pourtant notre vision du monde et de ses habitants : la relation moi-autrui change de pôle. mais cette interaction est réciproque : l'autre me regarde et se comporte différemment. la société possède des codes sociaux qui attribuent une place déterminée à chaque membre de la communauté : ainsi, la veuve, le veuf, les orphelins. il est parfois difficile de s'en rendre compte, mais la communauté qui entoure l'endeuillé n'agit pas de façon naturelle : ses actes et ses paroles sont le fruit d'une éducation, d'une série de conventions apprises. mais il en est de même pour la personne en deuil : notre vécu intime cherche ses 'réponses' en autrui, en ceux qui l'entourent et donc dans les codes sociaux qui lui fournissent un modèle de comportement. en quoi le rapport normalisé à autrui fait partie du vécu intime du deuil ? comment la notion de 'faire son deuil' est vitale en tant qu'elle se fait en présence d'autrui ? de même, quelle place le collectif accorde à l'intime, au sentiment personnel et à sa manifestation ?
The challenge of this work is to address bereavement as an existential experience in a contemporary social context - living through the lost of a loved one is an abrupt change in a subject's life. Nevertheless, the subject is part of a collective, located in a society that reacts by regulating the experience of bereavement. Faced with the apparent solitude of mourning, the death of a loved one brings us to question identity as fundamentally relational beings. We focus our reflection on the abrupt change change that comes at the sudden news of the death of a loved one in the course of our existence, and which, as such, represents an abrupt change itself. Journeying through a period of mourning means being faced with the intensity and pointlessness of loss, of which no words can be said at the beginning. Starting from the unspeakable and incommunicable nature of bereavement, we address the question of meaning and of implementing practices in response to this situation of abrupt change.Problematising the expression "to be in mourning" reflects the creativity of the human subject when it is called to be a part of a social, economical, political and cultural environment upon the news of a loss. It is therefore important to emphasise the historical and social aspects of our reflection as it analyses the knowledge basis for bereavement. this epistemological analysis tends to consider bereavement as an "object" appropriate for both thought and practice. The objectives here are therefore normative and affect a singular conception of offering support to those in mourning and to those at the end of life in order that those involved in the issue may become involved in experiential continuity

Games are a natural part of many people's everyday lives and have gone from being a divergent interest to become Sweden's biggest cultural export. As a result from this expansion, digital tools had to be further developed and through this progress these tools have reached new areas of usage, which has created new challenges for game developers. The games that offers a higher purpose than pure entertainment goes under the genre serious games. Serious games are used in various application areas such as; in the military, health care, education, business, and psychology, which is the framework of this thesis. By combining and unifying previous research grounded in psychology and game science I want to answer the questions: How can games be used as a therapeutic tool in a child's grieving process? and, Which features should such a game focus on? These questions are answered through the information gathered from two interviews conducted with respondents that have different expertise within the area of this study, this to reach a broader perspective. A child's grieving process can manifest itself in various ways depending on the individual's level of sensitivity. It is therefore difficult to draw any general conclusions on how such a game should be designed. All games have the opportunity to motivate and engage, but this is not unique to a serious game and therefore a measurement function is essential in a digital rehabilitation tool to provide the therapist with valuable information about the patient. The figurative language makes it possible for the child to communicate where the spoken language sometimes has limits. For older children social support can be important as it creates opportunities to meet others in similar situations and together work towards improvement. Grief is a non-linear process and can present itself in many different ways and it is therefore important that the game should offer various turn-outs to make it adaptable for the individual.
Spel är en naturlig del i många människors vardag och har gått från att vara ett mer avvikande intresse till att bli Sveriges största kulturexport. Expanderingen har även lett till att dessa digitala verktyg har fått utvecklats och hitta nya användningsformer som därmed skapar nya utmaningar för spelutvecklare. Spel som har ett högre syfte än den rena underhållningen hamnar under genren serious games och används inom olika användningsområden såsom försvaret, sjukvården, utbildning, affärsrörelser och psykologi vilket är ämnet för denna uppsats. Genom att kombinera och sammanföra tidigare forskning som bottnar sig i psykologin samt spelvetenskapen vill jag besvara frågorna: Hur kan spel användas som ett terapeutiskt verktyg i ett barn sorgeprocess? och Vilka egenskaper bör ett sådant spel fokusera på? Dessa besvaras genom granskning av tidigare forskning samt empiriskt insamlat material från två intervjuer med personer med olika specialistkunskaper för att få ett bredare perspektiv. Barns sorgeprocesser kan te sig väldigt olika beroende på individen och därför är det mycket svårt att dra några generella slutsatser för hur ett sådant spel ska designas. Spel har som möjlighet att motivera och engagera och detta är inget unikt för ett serious game, därför blir en mätningsfunktion avgörande i ett digitalt rehabiliteringsverktyg och ett sätt att förse terapeuten med information om patienten. Det bildliga språket gör det också möjligt för barnet att enklare förmedla sina känslor eftersom det talade språket kan vara en begränsning. För de äldre barnen så kan socialt stöd genom spelet vara viktigt för att kunna träffa andra i samma situation och tillsammans bearbeta sorgen. Sorgen är ingen linjär process och kan visa sig på olika sätt och därför bör spelet erbjuda olika tillägg för att kunna anpassas till den enskilda individen.

The research deals with the losses the 7-11 year old child in die single parent family may experience. The research has been conducted from a practical theological (pastoral) perspective. The goal of the study was to investigate and elaborate upon the various losses the child may experience on a physical, cognitive, social, spiritual and an emotional level. In order to complement and verify the literature study, empirical methods of research were utilised. Focus groups were conducted within the framework of Gestalt Play Therapy. Parent interviews were used as an additional method of research. It became apparent, as a result of the literature and empirical studies, that the loss of a parent (whether by divorce/ abandonment/unmarried status/ death) affects the child on all levels of his/her development. Guidelines for the support of such a child are suggested.
Die navorsing handel oor die verlies(e) wat die 7-11 jarige kind in die enkelouergesin mag beleef. Die navorsing geskied vanuit 'n prakties-teologiese (pastorale) perspektief. Die doel van die studie was om die verliese wat die kind op fisiese, kognitiewe, emosionele, sosiale en geestelike vlak mag ervaar, te ondersoek en omskryf. Om die literatuurstudie aan te vul en te verifieer, al dan nie, is daar van empiriese navorsing gebruik gemaak. Fokusgroepe het plaasgevind binne 'n gestalt spelterapeutiese raamwerk. Oueronderhoude was as nog 'n wyse van ondersoek gebruik. Vanuit die literatuurstudie en empiriese navorsing het dit duidelik geword dat die verlies aan 'n ouer (vanwee egskeiding/ verlating/ongetroude status/ sterfte) die kind op al die vlakke van sy/haar ontwikkeling beinvloed. Riglyne tot ondersteuning aan hierdie kind is voorgestel.
Social work
M.Diac. (Youth Work)

Youth today experience high degrees of loss and change, resulting in grief (Goldman, 2001). Little evidence exists of school counselors' academic preparation in grief counseling. The purpose of this research study was to determine how CACREP school counseling programs prepare school counselors in the areas of grief and loss, including course delivery methods, included curriculum areas, and reasons for exclusion. A quantitative, descriptive design was utilized. The "School Counselors Preparation in Grief/Loss and Substance Abuse Counseling" survey was designed for data collection and sent to the 150 United States CACREP accredited school counseling programs. A total of 79 programs responded, resulting in a 53% response rate. Research results found that 40% of responding CACREP programs did not offer any grief and loss preparation to their pre-service school counselors. Sixty percent indicated providing some training. Data show that 11% of programs required a course and 50% offered an elective course. Additionally, 48% of respondents taught a module on grief and loss within a required course, and 13% through a module in an elective course. Results found 6 respondents included all 17 suggested curriculum areas, while the mean for curricula inclusion was 11 areas. Research indicated 78% of programs not offering grief and loss cited a lack of room to add more credits as their exclusion rationale. Furthermore 35% of respondents did not offer curriculum because it was not a CACREP requirement. Lacking trained staff and financial reasons were both reported by 25% of programs as reasons for non-inclusion. Facing grief and loss are realities of life. Helping students to acknowledge and cope with these realities is a necessary task, as loss is a normal, universal experience, encountered repeatedly (Lenhardt, 1997). CACREP standards position that counselor education programs will prepare students to meet the real life counseling situations they will face while working in schools (CACREP, 2001). Research results indicated an inconsistent delivery of appropriate training in grief and loss among responding CACREP school counseling programs. Counselor education programs may wish to examine if they are ethically and effectively preparing their 21st century graduates. Recommendations and limitations are included.
Graduation date: 2004

碩士
中原大學
宗教研究所
99
The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of solution-focused pastoral counseling for Christian bereaved families. Twenty Christian participants were invited and assigned to the solution-focused pastoral counseling group and control group. Participants completed the Grief Reaction Inventory and Grief Recovery Inventory prior to the first counseling session, and two weeks after the final counseling session. Moreover, participants of the solution-focused pastoral counseling group received focus-group interviewing for collecting their experience about counseling. The results of the quantitative data analysis were as follows: 1. The differences of the grief behavior reaction between male and female were found. The female clients perceived significantly more grief behavioral reaction than male clients. Besides, The closer relationship with family members who died the less perceived physiological reaction of grief. 2. The results of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed the no significant difference with grief reaction and recovery between experimental group and control group. However grief emotional reaction perceived by the experimental group in the posttest was lower, while comparing to the pretest after four counseling sessions. The results of the qualitative data analysis were as follows: 1. Grief reactions of bereaved families included a deep sense of loss, feeling apology for the deceased and losing their energies for living. 2. After four counseling sessions, participants reported that the counseling outcome included emotional catharsis, changing their thinking and values, finding self-worth, having the ability to solve problems, returning to the usual life, forgiving the deceased and self, and no longer afraid of death. 3. Participants reported counselors’ intentions of intervention including building trustworthy relationship, holding clients’ emotional catharsis, clarifying clients’ problems, leading conversational praying to God, exploring clients’ inner self, and helping clients to reflect on their own, to solve problem, and to understand the God’s will. 4. Participants reported in Christian religion, they deeply believed that eternal life, restoring relationship with God, and giving thanks to the grace of Heavenly Father after four counseling sessions. Based on the findings, recommendations and suggestions were made for future implications and research.

碩士
國立臺北教育大學
教育心理與諮商學系碩士班
95
The purpose of this study was to investigate the grief experience of bereaved children, including their grief reactions and presentations of grief adjustment. Through an in-depth interview with four high-grade students who experienced the loss of father, the research data were collected and analyzed. The research results were summarized as follows: 1. The grief reactions of four children who experienced the loss of father could be divided into the physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects. (1)Physiological aspect: the four bereaved children would not actively mention about their physiological response caused by their grief, so their physiological reactions were not evident. Besides, adults were usually busy with the funeral or immersed in sad emotions, so they would usually neglect children’s physiological response. (2)Emotional aspect: Sadness, sorrowfulness, loneliness, solitude, loss, and anxiety were the common emotions of bereaved children. However, sense of guilty, self-blame, relaxation, and sense of release were reactions not observed in this study. (3)Cognitive aspect: Bereaved children might feel ignorant and curious about death (where father has gone; father is not dead; one may be punished after death), not want others to see his sadness, and feel the dead is still there. Some bereaved children would be affected in their grief adjustment when they saw the ghost film and listened to ghost stories for fear that ghost would possess them. (4)Behavioral aspect: Crying, looking at the photo, and talking to the dead were the main methods that bereaved children maintained their relationships with their father. Besides, some of them had some explicit behaviors such as having nightmare, escaping, being nostalgic, pretending to be strong, change of temperament, change of daily behaviors, and withdrawal in interpersonal relationships. 2. The unique grief images of bereaved children The grief images included the fear for ghost, apprehension over the life of the still-alive parent, experience and concealment of grief in the game, and pretension of being strong. 3. The presentation of grief adjustment by bereaved children It was discovered from the presentations of grief adjustment by four bereaved children that most of their adjustment methods were invisible and psychological, including release of emotions (crying, writing, and reading), recollection, expression of feelings, transfer of attention, and setting goals to be connected to the dead father and express the missing for the dead father. However, some bereaved children had peculiar personalities. But it was not common for them to adjust their grief through the approaches only in the physical, spiritual, and social perspectives. There were also some bereaved children who would be reminiscent of their loved ones when they were playing. Adults might sometimes be confused in this myth. They would feel that their children did not know about grief and ignore the discussion about death and bereavement with their children. Finally, based on the above research findings, suggestions were proposed as a reference for parents, teachers, those involved in the practical work, and follow-up studies.

In this study, I aim to achieve a richer understanding of ongoing experiences of childhood loss. Hermeneutic philosophy highlights the importance of moving back and forth between the parts and the whole of any subject one might wish to comprehend. To apply such a perspective to this research, I simultaneously engage with multiple aspects of the research process. These include: dominant and alternative understandings of childhood loss, the personal experiences of my research participants, multiple perspectives on the meaning of their experiences, the relationships among researchers and participants, and my own processes of interpreting the stories that were shared with me. The relational process of research itself has been recognized and demonstrated as reflective of that which is required to effectively connect with and support grieving children.

In South Africa the death of a significant caregiver is a haunting possibility. Violence, crime, road accidents, HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes and substance abuse are household words that describe some of the causes of "untimely deaths" of parents who still have young, school-going children. These children carry their bereavement with them to school. The challenge of standing with them lies not only with their caregivers, but also with staff and children in our school community. In co-authoring conversations with children in our school who have experienced bereavement and loss, this qualitative study used research as co-search to uncover children's preferred knowledges and spiritualities about coping, hope, care and communities of concern. This study used therapy-as-research and participatory action research-as-therapy in what developed into a network of caring communities for the participants, caregivers and therapist.
Practical Theology
M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

This thesis investigates the literature on trauma and grief in order to explore the existence of the phenomenon of traumatic grief in children. Appropriate therapies are explored for treating traumatic grief in children. The focus in this research is on non-directive art therapy as the literature has found it to be useful in traumatic circumstances. The therapeutic relationship and the focus on containment are valuable in addressing the primary need of the child in therapy especially when traumatic grief is to be addressed. A qualitative case study approach was chosen. Two case studies were selected to investigate the phenomenon of traumatic grief in children. Purposeful sampling was used to select the cases to observe the phenomenon of traumatic grief. The case studies included pre-therapy and post-therapy assessments, which included cognitive, emotional and behavioural assessments. Art therapy was found to address the problems in the two cases.
Educational Studies
M.Ed.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Estudos Sobre as Mulheres apresentado à Universidade Aberta
Resumo - As constantes mudanças operadas a nível legislativo e científico, possibilitam que as mulheres e famílias tenham a faculdade de interromper a gestação, quando as malformações fetais são diagnosticadas no decurso da gravidez e se enquadrem dentro do quadro legal. As vivências das mulheres na interrupção médica de gravidez vão servir de base ao estudo qualitativo que realizamos. É um estudo fenomenológico, essencialmente exploratório com um desenho descritivo. Para a compreensão do fenómeno formulamos as seguintes questões de investigação: O que experimentam estas mulheres quando confrontadas com a malformação fetal? Como percepcionam todo este percurso nomeadamente se sentem dor ou sofrimento? Há sentimentos de perda e luto? E como conseguem enfrentar todo este processo complexo? A amostra do estudo é constituída por dez mulheres. A amostragem em oito destas é não probabilística acidental e em duas por selecção racional ou intencional, designadas por memórias de interrupção. A população alvo é constituída pelas grávidas que recorreram a dois hospitais da área da Grande Lisboa para efectuar a interrupção de gravidez. As entrevistas semi-estruturadas ocorreram em dois momentos. O primeiro momento, antes da alta hospitalar, o segundo, com as participantes já no domicílio passado poucos meses após a interrupção médica de gravidez. A análise de conteúdo permitiu-nos categorizar e compreender a vivências destas mulheres no decurso deste período. Através da análise dos dados e das entrevistas das participantes procuramos compreender este fenómeno através das emoções, sentimentos e representações percepcionadas no decurso deste período. As duas memórias de interrupção ocorreram num único momento e serviram para triangulação dos dados
Resumen - Las continuas mudanzas de carácter legislativo y científico que se han realizado, permiten a las mujeres y sus familiares la posibilidad de interrumpir el embarazo por existir malformaciones fetales, si éstas son diagnosticadas y si son amparadas por los criterios legalmente establecidos. La vivencia de la interrupción médica del embarazo realizadas por estas mujeres servirá de base para el estudio cualitativo que se realizó. Este estudio es de índole fenomenológica y exploratoria, y su diseño es descriptivo. La intención de comprender el fenómeno hizo que surgiesen las cuestiones de investigación: Qué es lo que experimentan las mujeres que se ven obligadas a enfrentarse con una malformación fetal? Cuál es la percepción que tienen de la situación si sufren? Cómo es el proceso de pérdida y luto? Cómo consiguen enfrentarse a esa realidad? La muestra de este estudio se constituye de diez mujeres. La selección fue no probabilística accidental para ocho participantes y de manera racional intencionada para dos, designadas éstas por memorias de interrupción. La población “alvo" está constituida por las embarazadas que se dirigieron a dos instituciones hospitalares del área de Lisboa para realizar la interrupción del embarazo. Las entrevistas semi-estructuradas que fueron realizadas al primer grupo de señoras, se hicieron en dos momentos diferentes: una primera vez antes del alta hospitalar y una segunda vez en el domicilio unos meses más tarde. El análisis de los contenidos permitió categorizar y comprender las vivencias de estas mujeres en relación con esta situación. Mediante el análisis tanto de los datos como de las entrevistas, se pretendió comprender las emociones, sentimientos y representaciones de estas señoras. Las dos memorias de interrupción se desenvolvieron en un único momento y sirvió para triangular los datos
Abstract - The constant scientific and legal changes allow women and families to decide upon a pregnancy interruption when foetus malformations are diagnosed during the pregnancy. This decision must be legally accepted. Women’s experiences in therapeutic abortion will be our focal point in this qualitative research. It is an essentially exploratory and phenomelogical study with a descriptive background. For a greater understanding of these issues, the following questions were applied. They are: What do women feel when faced with foetal malformations? How do they live this situation, namely if they feel pain or suffering? Are their feelings of loss and grief? How do they face this complex process? The study’s sample evolves ten women. Eight of the ten individuals were non-random sampling and two were selected intentionally and therefore designated as “interruption memories". The target population are pregnant women who visit two hospitals in Lisbon after deciding to interrupt their pregnancy. Semi-structured interviews took place in two different moments of time and in two different places. The first, before hospital discharge, and the second, a few months after the pregnancy interruption, in their homes. It was possible to categorize and understand the experiences of these women during this time period by the analyses of the contents of all the interviews. With these results we are trying to understand this situation using emotions, feelings and perceived representations during this time span. The two “interruption memories" occurred in a single moment and served for the triangulation of contents

The goal of the study was to explore the needs of widowed parents in assisting their children in the grieving process. The researcher chose this specific research topic for a number reasons, primarily based on her own observations and contact of her external world as the researcher had either come into direct contact with, or become aware of families in her community where one of the parents in families with children in early and/or middle childhood had passed away. Loosing a parent through death is a very traumatic experience for a child. How the child reacts to and deals with this trauma in the long-term, is greatly influenced by how the remaining parent reacts to and deals with the death him or herself, as well how he or she assists the child in the grieving process. Secondly, the research topic fits within the social work context as bereaved families may turn to the social work profession for guidance and assistance in understanding and resolving their loss. Therefore, the researcher was of the opinion that it would be of value to gain knowledge of the specific needs of the widowed parents in helping their children during the grieving process in order to offer these families more direct, focused and valuable assistance. The researcher made use of a qualitative approach in order to explore and gain an understanding of the needs of widowed parents' experiences in assisting their children in the grieving process. The researcher used applied research for her study, as it was hoped that the information gained would provide further knowledge to help the social work profession in assisting widowed parents and their children in the grieving process. Seven respondents were identified and chosen primarily through a non-probability sampling technique of purposive sampling. As the initial number of respondents were limited, the researcher also made use of the snowball sampling technique to further increase her sample. Data for the study was gathered by means of semi-structured one-to-one interviews, with the use of an interview schedule in order to gain a detailed picture of the widowed parents' perceptions and experiences of helping their children come to terms with the death of their parents. In studying the literature the researcher focused on two main aspects. Firstly, the children's grieving process, including their understanding of death, reaction to the death of a parent, as well as the actual grieving process of parentally bereaved children. Secondly, the researcher focused on the needs of widowed parents in assisting their children in the grieving process, including the important role they play in this process, their own emotions, challenges they are faced with in this process, the impact the death has on the family's functioning in relation to Maslow's hierarchy of needs and finally the availability and use of support systems for widowed parents. The findings of the study showed that all the respondents were aware of the impact the death had on their children, especially as most of the deaths were sudden and unexpected. Many needs were experienced, including telling the children about the death, loneliness, and perhaps the most difficult of all, finding a balance between expressing their own grief so that their children felt free to grieve but at the same time not falling apart completely, thereby overwhelming their children. Overall the researcher found that it appeared more important to the widowed parents that their children's needs be taken care of above their own. In concluding the study the researcher was of the opinion that grieving the loss of a loved one involves much more than just a process of steps. It encompasses a wide range of tasks, emotions, thoughts and behaviours. Therefore, in terms of helping to meet the needs of widowed parents in assisting their children in the grieving process, one cannot just make assumptions and based on this follow a set formula. Families, with children in early and middle childhood, who have lost a parent through death, find themselves in a very vulnerable and fragile state. The way they deal with the loss and the support they are given both informal and formal, can have a very significant impact on the future functioning of the remaining family members both individually and as a whole. Therefore, it is imperative that those assisting the family through the loss have knowledge of their needs so that they can assist them in a way that can bring about healing and restoration.
Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2008.
Social Work and Criminology
MSD
unrestricted

This study sets out to demonstrate the usefulness of cybernetic description for grief therapy, specifically the field parental loss of a child. This paradigm was used to facilitate an alternate mode of conceptualisation, one engendering a more encompassing, aesthetic view. The following core cybernetic concepts were used: punctuation, complementarity, pattern and metapattern forming the framework of cybernetic description as applied. A literature study attempting to merge the gestalt of cybernetic description with that of bereavement theory, specifically that pertaining to the parental loss of a child, is presented. A single case study is described illustrating how cybernetic description is applied to the grief narrative. Arising out of this, the implications of cybernetic description for the field of grief and social work in general are outlined.
Social Work
M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Recent research supports the theoretical premise that healthy forms of bereavement include meaning making as a coping response to loss as well as a move away from Freud’s original postulation regarding the importance of decathexis as necessary to a healthy resolution of grief. However, traumatic bereavement produces particular kinds of difficulties in meaningmaking and the possible resolution of this kind of loss. The study explored responses in relation to the traumatic loss of a child through homicide in a sample of 7 parents (2 couples, 3 mothers) who were identified through the The Compassionate Friends (TCF) chapter in Highlands North, Johannesburg and who volunteered to take part in the study. Semi structured interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and subjected to an interpretive thematic content analysis. The thematic content analysis revealed that meaning making responses in relation to the loss of a child through homicide, are complex and that somewhat unexpectedly, parents experienced expectations from society and others to engage in particular kinds of meaning-making as counterproductive and alienating. Issues concerning the simultaneous introjection of and de-cathexis from the lost child also proved enlightening. Meaning-making also involves both some degree of trauma resolution and the recognition of what the loss of the significant other entails. The research also explored the choices and decisions that parents reported as being important in response to the traumatic loss of their child, and therefore suggests some useful pointers for those who encounter traumatically bereaved individuals in the course of their work.

Text in Afrikaans
The purpose of this study is to describe a gestalt technique for therapists who are involved with children who are experiencing loss. A play therepeutic approach is described and the underlying principles integrated and applied. In the first chapter the details of the the research methodology is described. In the second chapter the gestalt approach and how it relates to play therapeutic intervention is discussed. The third chapter is a literature study which describes the child's conceptualization of death. In the fourth chapter the technique which is developed is discusssed. This technique comprises six themes which are projected by way of instructions on a card. The child chooses a card during every session and it is therapeutically played out. There is a central theme of a treasure box, and a box is made to keep memorabilia of the deceased. The therapeutic intervention helps the child to make a treasure box of memories in their hearts.
Social work
M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans
Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard en negatiewe gevolge van die verlies- en treurproses te ondersoek, en riglyne daar te stel vir die terapeutiese hantering van die verlies- en treurproses. Aan die hand van ‘n literatuurstudie is die aard, gevolge en terapie-benaderings met betrekking tot die verlies- en treurproses bestudeer. Die Opvoedkundig-sielkundige Relasieteorie is verken, en is as raamwerk in ’n empiriese studie gebruik. Die hantering van die verlies- en treurproses is kwalitatief ondersoek. Deur terapeutiese intervensie in drie deelnemers se verlies- en treurproses, is insig verkry met die oog op die samestelling van ’n terapieprogram, sowel as vir riglyne vir die terapeut en die kliënt. Ek het wegbeweeg van navorsing wat primêr beskrywend van aard is en op diagnostiese oorwegings fokus, na raamwerke waar intervensie-strategieë en spesifieke tegnieke gebruik kan word wanneer die terapeut en die kliënt betrokke is in deurlopende psigoterapie. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat dit belangrik is om nie slegs op die verlies te fokus nie, maar ook op onopgeloste kwessies wat vantevore in die kliënt se lewe plaasgevind het. Insig en kennis van hulleself, hul verhoudings, verdedigingsmeganismes, emosies, denke en gedrag, en die invloed wat dit op hulle verlies- en treurproses het, was nodig sodat die kliënte hul ongewenste aangeleerde gedrag kon wysig, om sodoende hulleself beter te verstaan in die hantering van hulle verlies en die treurproses.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and negative consequenses of, and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of the loss and grief process. A literature study was undertaken to determine the nature, consequences, and therapeutic techniques, with regard to the loss and grief process, based on Psychological Relations theory. By means of therapeutic intervention in the three participants’ loss and grief processes, I gained insight to compose a therapeutic programme, as well as therapeutic guidelines and intervention strategies and specific techniques that can be used when the therapist and the client are involved in continuous psychotherapy. The results of the study indicated that it is important to focus on unresolved issues that happened earlier in the client’s life. Insight in the person as a whole, is required to be able to understand themselves better in the handling of their loss and the grieving process.
Educational Studies
M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans
In today's society our children are being incredibly exposed to trauma and death. Parents want to protect their children against hardship and loss and it is evident that todays society is characterized by social pathology. In view of the above the researcher studied literature extensively to investigate the affect of the phenomenon of death and trauma in the life of the young child. In order to establish the availability of therapy programs for the young child in childcare whose parents died in an unnatural way. It was evident that the present South African society is indeed characterized by conflict, homicide and violence. The death of a parent is a traumatic experience for the young child (aged two to seven years). VVhen death occurs suddenly it was found that the grief process is more complex. Through the process of literature study and empirical investigation it seems that many young children, who lost their parents through unnatural death, are placed in childcare institutions. In this study it was established that the fact that children were placed in childcare did not always imply that therapeutic intervention took place. Limited financial support and social services contributed to insufficient therapeutical intervention. Furthermore it was found that the investigated childcare institutions couldn't provide the researcher with therapeutic programmes. This study therefore indicates that there is a need for the development of therapeutic programmes for the young child in childcare. whose parents died in an unnatural way.
In die hedendaagse samelewing blyk dit dat kinders al hoe meer aan dood en trauma blootgestel word. Hoewel ouers graag hulle kinders wil beskerm teen hartseer en verlies, blyk dit dat vandag se samelewing gekenmerk word deur 'n vorm van sosiale patologie. In die lig van voorafgaande, het die navorser literatuurstudie onderneem om die teenwoordigheid en die fenomeen van dood en trauma in die lewe van die jong kind te ondersoek. 'n Verdere literatuurstudie is ook onderneem om die rou ervaring van die jong kind te ondersoek. Die navorser wou ook in hierdie studie vasstel of daar terapeutiese begeleiding aan die jong kind in kindersorg, wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het, beskikbaar is. Daar is in die studie gevind dat die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing inderdaad gekenmerk word deur konflik, moord en misdaad. Die afsterwe van 'n ouer is 'n traumatiese ondervinding vir die jong kind (twee tot sewe jaar). Wanneer die dood skielik en onverwags intree, is bevind dat die rouproses gekompliseerd is. Deur die proses van literatuurstudie en empiriese ondersoek blyk dit dat verskeie jong kinders wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het, in kindersorginstansies geplaas word. Daar is in hierdie studie bewys dat hoewel die kind in kindersorginstansies geplaas word, terapeutiese begeleiding nie altyd plaasvind nie. Hierdie gebrekkige terapeutiese begeleiding word toegeskryf aan die feit dat nie voldoende finansiele ondersteuning en maatskaplike dienste is nie. Daar is verder gevind dat kindersorginstansies, wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, nie oor traumaterapie programme vir terapeutiese begeleiding beskik nie. Hierdie studie toon dus dat daar 'n behoefte is vir die ontwikkeling van terapeutiese programme vir die jong kind in kindersorg wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het.
Educational studies
M. Ed. (Voorligting)

In Gestalplaytherapy there is a need for guidelines with a pastoral perspective for the child that is experiencing loss. This research is undertaken to set Gestaltplaytherapeutic guidelines with a pastoral perspective for the therapeutic intervention of the primary school child who is experiencing loss due to the death of a loved one. The study consulted relevant literature and compared the literature study with experience acquired in practice. The impact of the loss that the child is experiencing has an influence on the child as a whole. The researcher has found that the Christian child's experience of loss due to the death of a loved one is influenced greatly by the child's spiritual experience. For this reason it is necessary that Gestaltplaytherapy includes a pastoral approach within the therapeutic setting when working with a child experiencing loss due to the death of a loved one.
In Gestaltspelterapie is daar 'n leemte aan riglyne vanuit 'n pastorale perspektief wat die kind wat verlies ervaar kan begelei. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om Gestalspelterapeutiese riglyne met 'n pastorale perspektief daar te stel vir die hantering van die laerskoolkind wat verlies ervaar as gevolg van die dood van 'n geliefde. Die studie ondersoek die kind se geestelike belewing van verlies deur middel van navorsing in relevante literatuur en vergelyk dit met praktiese ervaring wat opgedoen is in die praktyk. Die impak van die verlies wat die laerskoolkind ervaar as gevolg van die dood van 'n geliefde raak sy totale menswees. Die navorser het waargeneem dat die Christenkind se ervaring en verwerking van die dood van 'n geliefde ook deur sy geestelike belewing beinvloed word. Daarom is dit nodig dat die kind wat verlies ervaar ook op die pastorale vlak binne die Gestaltspelterapeutiese opset hanteer word.
Social work
M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

O luto é um processo social, cultural, étnico, pessoal, natural e transversal a qualquer faixa etária e género, não se devendo minimizar o impacto que assume junto de qualquer pessoa. Este processo não tem de estar exclusivamente ligado à perda por morte, podendo relacionar-se com a perda de um objeto, com uma impossibilidade, dificuldade, doença, desemprego, separação, privação de algo ou alguém, entre outros aspetos relacionados com alguma lacuna emocional. O objetivo geral desta investigação centrou-se em compreender a perspetiva de pais e professores sobre o luto infantil. Para isso foram aplicados os questionários Luto infantil no contexto educacional a 67 professores titulares de escolas básicas públicas do 1º ciclo do concelho do Funchal, e Luto infantil no contexto familiar a 109 pais de alunos do 1º ciclo a frequentar uma escola pública no mesmo concelho. As principais conclusões do estudo vão ao encontro da literatura, na medida em que, quer pais, quer professores, entendem que o luto pode ser originado por distintos tipos de perda; assumem não ter formação e informação suficientes para abordar o tema, bem como, algumas dificuldades para dialogar com a criança enlutada. Paralelamente, os pais acham importante a vivência do processo de luto no seio familiar e os professores acham crucial e demonstram-se disponíveis para apoiar alunos nesta situação. Finalmente, ambos atestam que é importante educar para a perda e o luto. Tal permite-nos apontar algumas linhas de investigação e intervenção, a nível pedagógico, direcionadas para pais, professores e crianças enlutadas, tendo a escola como principal elo de ligação.
Grief is a social, cultural, ethnic, personal, natural process transversal to any age group and gender, and there for, the impact that it takes in any person should not be minimized. This process does not have to be exclusively linked to the loss by death, it may be related to the loss of an object, with an impossibility, hardship, sickness, unemployment, separation, deprivation of something or someone, and other aspects related to some emotional gap. The general objective of this research focused on understanding the perspective of parents and teachers on child bereavement. For that, child grief questionnaires were applied in educational settings, to 67 primary public schools teachers in the municipality of Funchal, and mourning children in a family context to 109 parents of 1st cycle students attending a public school in the same district. The main conclusions of the study are in line with the literature, to the extent that, either parents or teachers, understand that grief can be caused by different types of loss; take notice that they do not have sufficient training and information to address the issue, as well as some difficulties in starting dialogue with bereaved children. In parallel, the parents see the importance of experiencing the grieving process within the family and the teachers find crucial to show themselves available to support students in this situation. Finally, both attest that it is important to educate for loss and mourning situations. This allows us to point out some lines of investigation and intervention, in an educational level, directed to parents, teachers and bereaved children, with the school as main link.

This thesis explores mothers' reactions to, and methods of dealing with, the sudden death of a child, using a constructivist approach. The study focusses on the meanings that mothers construe in relation to the sudden death of their child and the role of these constructions in her "recovery" from this loss. It also explores the grieving process, the effect of the loss on the mother, including a focus on changes in her value system, her role as a mother and as a wife, as well as the impact of this loss on the family system. The study was conducted on the basis of qualitative research methodology, making use of the case study method. The sample consisted of three mothers, selected purposively. The data gathered was analysed inductively.
Psychology
M.A.(Clinical Psychology)

This single case study was undertaken to determine how the Gestalt approach can be used to guide the child to adjust in a children's home. The study dealt with two models of children's homes, namely the traditional setting and the family centered home setting, as well as adjustment and attachment of a single child's experience in the middle school years, in the family centered home setting. In addition, the trauma, loss and culture shock are highlighted to demonstrate the difficulty children experience in adjusting to a new environment such as a children's home. Data were captured around the participant's experience and process, entering the children's home and the facilitating through intervention. Through the intervention the participant's process was identified, helping him to cope with his new situation. Through Gestalt play therapy the participant's active involvement in his adjustment process was clear and his adjustment was increased.
Social work
MDIAC (PLAY THERAPY)