The objective of this phenomenological study was to develop an understanding of family needs following the suicide of a teenager. Six parent units living in the Midwest who lost a teenager to suicide were interviewed. Participants indicated several key themes that describe a parent's needs following the suicide of a teenager. These needs were…

The death of a loved one can be particularly difficult for college students, as significant losses are not anticipated during this time. Bereavement experiences are, however, not uncommon among college students, and campus environments can be isolating and nonconducive to recovery. To date, few interventions have been developed to meet bereaved…

We investigated longitudinally parental perceptions of siblings' bereavement after childhood cancer death. Parents were interviewed 6 months (n = 25) and 18 months (n = 15) post-death. Data are analyzed combined and over time. The following themes emerged: (a) expression of grief: missing deceased child (verbally, crying), behavioral problems,…

This article describes an 8-week, curriculum-based traumatic death support group program that is offered at Bo's Place, a grief and bereavement center in Houston, Texas. The program was implemented in 2006 in an effort to help family members who had experienced a death in the family by suicide, murder, accident, or sudden medical problem. The…

In the context of AIDS, the Botswana Government has adopted a group therapy program to help large numbers of orphaned children cope with bereavement. This study explores the effectiveness of the therapy and examines how it interacts with cultural attitudes and practices concerning death. Ten orphaned children were involved in five rounds of data…

This study was performed to identify the patterns and mechanisms of the development of personal strength of bereaved older adults over a 4-year period after spousal death. The findings showed that while bereaved older adults, on average, experienced a moderate level of personal strength at 6 months post-spousal death with a slight increase over a…

This exploratory study examines veterinarians' perceptions of how they offer social support to grieving clients. Because many clients cannot find the social support they would like from other sources when grieving the death of a pet, the role of the vet in offering support becomes increasingly important. The results indicate that vets perceive…

This study posits a model of funeral satisfaction in which religiosity predicts general funeral attitudes, which predict levels and types of funeral participation, mediating the relationship between attitudes and satisfaction in a particular bereavement context. Over a thousand respondents rated their attitudes toward funerals in general and…

This article describes a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program for bereaved fathers and their experiences of it in a sample of intervention (n = 62) and control (n = 41) fathers. Data were collected by 3 scales: the Hogan Grief Reactions Checklist, a scale for measuring received social support, and a scale for…

Theoretical arguments and empirical evidence demonstrate the limited utility of a narrow construction of "normal" grief. Sudden and violent death, the young age of the deceased, and perceptions of death preventability are associated with grief reactions that extend beyond an expected grief response. Interviews were conducted with 21…

This exploratory study gathered narratives from 10 female suicide survivors, exploring 3 dimensions of their religious life during bereavement: (a) the function of the survivor's personal religion, (b) the function of religious support from family and friends, and (c) the function of established religious communities. Ten themes emerged from the…

This study aimed to identify what suicidally bereaved persons', particularly close relatives' and loved ones', perceptions of their need for support were and their experiences of support directed at meeting those needs. A total of 166 persons who were bereaved by suicide completed a questionnaire consisting of both closed and open-ended questions.…

As one component of an ongoing project to develop resources for bereaved children and families, funeral directors were surveyed about their experiences and practices with bereaved children. About one-third of respondents reported that they provided services specifically for bereaved children. Of these, some were proactive (reaching out to provide…

Although the role of spiritual, psychological, and social factors is receiving increasing attention in the end of life (EOL) context, we know far less than we need to about how these factors shape attitudes toward life and death in the face of looming loss. The present study begins to remedy these limitations by examining the relative impact of…

The loss of the partner is an important risk factor for developing serious psychological problems. In this study the authors examined the effect of the visiting service on the mental health and quality of life of older widowed individuals. They conducted a pragmatic randomized trial. All respondents were randomly assigned to a visiting service (n…