Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 1997. / The aim of this study was to establish the effect of the death of a parent on the psychic life of a child and the support available to assfst the child in his bereavement. As introduction a psychopedagogic perspective of the family was given in describing marriage, the family as an education milieu, parental roles and the special relationship between parent and child. The accompaniment of the child towards adulthood is dependent on the quality of the parent-child relationship. The parents' educational responsibility is to provide adequately for the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the child. The death of a parent is a traumatic experience for the child. The child feels the effects of death as intensely as an adult but in different ways. Research contributions on how children develop an understanding about death are in general agreement that this understanding develops in an orderly sequence from a state of total unawareness in very early childhood through stages to the point where death can be considered logically in cause of terms and outcome. The death of a parent can affect the child physically and psychologically. If the crisis situation of the child after the death of a loved one is not overcome, his becoming toward adulthood might be stifled. A wide range of behaviour problems may result in affective lability and hamper the child's cognitive development. To overcome the trauma of the death of a parent the child needs support from people close to him - people he knows and trusts. After the death of a parent the process of mourning is considered as very important to the child's -recovery", and needs to be facilitated by the remaining parent or by other significant adult figures. The church, school and welfare institutions also play an important role in rendering support to the bereaved child and his family. In conclusion, the findings emanating from the literature study were presented. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made: Urgent attention must be given to the introduction of death education programmes in schools. School guidance counsellors must initiate the establishment of programmes on death and dying in schools. Further research on the affect of the death of a parent on children should be undertaken.

No description available.

South African society is exposed to the reality of violence and crime, and at the same time HIV / AIDS is claiming the lives of many parents. Consequently schools throughout the country have an increasing number of bereaved adolescents among their learners. The effects of parental death during the adolescent years make severe inroads into the cognitive, psychosocial and moral development of adolescents. These detrimental effects of parental death motivated the researcher to investigate the effects of teacher- facilitated group work on bereaved adolescents. A mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research method was used to investigate the said effects. Accordingly a questionnaire was designed using the Likert rating scale. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used as quantitative data collection tools for this study. The data from the BDI and BAI were tabulated. Structured interviews, games, personal documents and focus group interviews were used as qualitative data collection tools. The data were analysed and reduced and prominent themes emerging from data sources were identified and discussed. While bereavement is a very traumatic event for the adolescent, the study findings illustrate that teacher-facilitated group work provides members with various benefits which help them learn more about themselves and improve their interpersonal relationships, thus providing a supportive climate in which they could deal collaboratively with their bereavement. The findings also point out that group work provides the bereaved adolescents with a place where they are understood, where they can talk about their thoughts and feelings without being judged. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (PhD)--Universiteit van Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Most researchers agree that for a child the death of a parent constitutes a psychological risk. Some of these children might experience the first onset of psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety or substance use disorder) prior to age 20, with a peak age of occurrence at 18. Within the South African context children are more and more confronted with parental death due to the upsurge of violence, the increase in HIV, aids and tuberculoses, as well as many fatal traffic accidents. The need for psychological support of these children within the school system was brought to the attention of the researcher by concerned surviving parents. Society tends to expect an early (often premature) return of survivors to the activities of everyday life. The adult or child thus often finds him-/herself isolated in grief. In family context on the other hand, the single parent has to deal with the personal loss of a spouse, the children's loss of a parent and often also the grandparents' loss of a child. Furthermore, roles within the family have to be reallocated so as to accommodate the lost person's functions. The surviving parent is therefore often not adequately available for the child who, having had his/her personal world and belief system shattered, does not always understand the consequences of death, primarily due to cognitive immaturity. They may react with anxiety, irrational beliefs and suppression, thus blocking a healthier course of grief. The aim of this study was to design and implement a psycho-educational grief resolution program and to investigate the effect thereof on the mood states, coping skills and self-concepts of 17 urban adolescents who had experienced parental death. Using the General Systems Theory as metatheory and the Intervention Designand- Development research methodology (Thomas & Rothman, 1994), a model of adolescent grief resolution was devised which served as basis for the design of the program. The participants were requested to reappraise personal resolution of grief tasks and were introduced to cognitive restructuring (for example the relinquishment of suppression and the disputing of irrational beliefs). With a clearer understanding and the skills to control emotions and behaviour, they were encouraged to attribute (now with hindsight) meaning to the experience of having lost a loved one, and to incorporate the event into a personal narrative. Statistical analyses of test-retest results indicated, amongst others, that adolescents tend to prematurely avow acceptance of the loss; that the experimental group demonstrated less fatigue-inertia after attending the program than the control group; and that a high risk group, comprised of members of both the experimental and control groups, showed more depression during the re-test situation. The last finding indicates that a high risk group should rather receive psychotherapy than participate in a psychoeducational program which is not primarily of a psychotherapeutic nature. On the other hand taking part in the program caused those adolescents to become aware of their need for psychotherapy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die meeste navorsers is dit eens dat die dood van 'n ouer vir die kind sielkundige risiko's inhou. Sommige van dié kinders mag voor die ouderdom van 20 jaar (met die grootste aantal teen 18 jaar) psigiatriese probleme soos depressie, angs of middelmisbruik vertoon. Suid-Afrikaanse kinders word tans toenemend aan ouersterfte blootgestel weens die toename in geweld, die Hl-virus, vigs, tuberkulose en verkeersongelukke. Agtergeblewe ouers het die behoefte aan sielkundige ondersteuning van dié kinders binne skoolverband onder die aandag van die navorser gebring. Dit blyk dat die gemeenskap 'n vroeë (dikwels voortydige) terugkeer van die treurende na die gewone daaglikse aktiwiteite verlang. Die treurende beleef hom-/haarself dus dikwels as alleen in smart. In gesinsverband word daar verder hoë eise aan die enkelouer gestel, soos om die verlies van 'n huweliksmaat te verwerk, om kinders wat 'n ouer verloor het, en moontlik ook grootouers wat 'n kind verloor het, te ondersteun. Verder moet die rolle binne die gesin herverdeel word om ook die oorledene se funksies te vervul. Die beskikbaarheid van die agtergeblewe ouer is dus ingekort, en die kind wie se leefwêreld en oortuigings aan flarde is, het weens veral kognitiewe onrypheid, selde begrip vir die nagevolge van sterwensverlies. Hulle mag reageer met angs, irrasionele denke en onttrekking wat die rouproses kan inhibeer. Die doel van die studie was die ontwerp en toepassing van 'n verliesverwerkingsprogram Cn psigo-ontwikkelingsprogram) en die bepaling van die programeffek op die gemoedstoestand, streshanteringsvaardighede en selfkonsep van 17 stedelike adolessente met ouerverlies. Met die Algemene Sisteemteorie as metateorie en die Intervensie-Ontwerp-en-Ontwikkelingsnavorsingsparadigma (Thomas & Rothman, 1994) kon 'n adolessente verliesverwerkingsmodel saamgestel word wat gedien het as basis vir die ontwerp van die program. Die deelnemers kon die eie verwerking van routake herbeoordeel en kognitiewe herstrukturering waar nodig toepas (onder meer deur die opheffing van onderdrukte gedagtes en die betwisting van irrasionele aannames). Met beter begrip vir die eie situasie en beheer oor emosie en gedrag kon ook betekenisgewing (terugskouend oor die verliesgebeure) volg en kon die ervaring geïnkorporeer word in 'n persoonlike lewensverhaal. Statistiese ontleding van die toets-hertoetsresultate het onder meer daarop gedui dat adolessente neig om voortydig aanvaarding van die verlies aan te dui; dat die eksperimentele groep, vergeleke met die kontrolegroep, minder vermoeid-lusteloos was na programdeelname; en dat hoë risikodeelnemers uit beide die eksperimentele en kontrolegroepe met die na-toetsing meer depressief voorgekom het. Laasgenoemde bevinding dui daarop dat die hoë risikogroep eerder op psigoterapie aangewese was. Diegene uit die hoë risikogroep wat wel aan die program deelgeneem het, het nogtans bewus geword van die behoefte aan sodanige terapie en dit daadwerklik opgevolg.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A child’s death represents a traumatic loss, which can be understood as a crisis impacting on the family as a functioning unit. The purpose of the current study was to investigate grief and resilience in families in which a child has died, while specifically focusing on the internal resistance resource of family hardiness. A cross-sectional research design was implemented concurrently with intensive interviews conducted according to the principles of grounded theory. In total, 35 bereaved parents from the Western Cape participated in the study as representatives of 23 families. The participants each completed three questionnaires, a biographical questionnaire, the Family Hardiness Index and the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8. Pearson and Spearman correlational analyses indicated significant positive correlations between family hardiness scores (including scores on the subscales for commitment, challenge and control) and family adaptation (measured by use of the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8). Significant associations were also found between certain biographical variables and family hardiness. Intensive interviews were, furthermore, conducted with participants representing 12 different families. The analysis of interviewtranscriptions resulted in the formulation of various thematic categories, such as grief-reactions, continuing bonds, external support, religion, as well as the core category of family hardiness. A grounded theory was thus developed concerning grief and resilience in families in which a child has died. The results of the study reveal the importance of qualitative methods to explore the unique experiences of bereaved parents and families with the purpose of constructing applied interventions on the family level. The family hardiness concept was also clarified and shown to be a possible resistance resource conducive to family adaptation following the loss of a child. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dood van `n kind is `n traumatiese verlies, wat beskou kan word as `n krisis wat `n impak het op die gesin as `n funksionerende eenheid. Die doelwit van die huidige studie was om verdriet en veerkragtigheid in gesinne waarin `n kind oorlede is, te ondersoek, met `n spesifieke fokus op die interne weerstandsbron van gesinsgehardheid. `n Dwars-snit opname navorsingsontwerp is gebruik in oorleg met intensiewe onderhoude, wat volgens die beginsels van gegronde teorie gevoer is. In totaal is 35 ouers, woonagtig in die Wes-Kaap, betrek by die studie, wat opgetree het as verteenwoordigers van 23 gesinne. Die deelnemers het elk drie vraelyste voltooi, naamlik `n biografiese vraelys, die Gesinsgehardheid Indeks en die Gesinsgehegtheid en Veranderlikheid Indeks 8. Pearson en Spearman korrelasie-berekeninge het aangedui dat gesinsgehardheid-tellings (asook die tellings op die subskale vir toewyding, uitdaging en beheer) beduidend positief korreleer met gesinsaanpassing (gemeet met die Gesinsgehegtheid en Veranderlikheid Indeks 8). Beduidende verhoudings is ook gevind tussen sekere biografiese veranderlikes en gesinsgehardheid. Verder is intensiewe onderhoude gevoer met die verteenwoordigers van 12 gesinne. Die ontleding van onderhoud-transkripsies het gelei tot die formulering van verskeie tematiese kategorieë, naamlik verdriet-reaksies, die voortdurende verbintenis, eksterne ondersteuning en godsdiens, asook die kern-kategorie van gesinsgehardheid. `n Gegronde teorie is sodoende ontwikkel, wat betrekking het op verdriet en veerkragtigheid in gesinne waarin `n kind oorlede is. Die resultate van die studie wys op die belang van kwalitatiewe metodes om die uniekheid van bedroefde ouers en gesinne se ervarings te verken met die doel om gepaste intervensies op gesinsvlak te ontwikkel. Die konsep van gesinsgehardheid is ook verhelder en aangedui as `n moontlike weerstandsbron, wat bevorderlik is vir gesinne se aanpassing ná die verlies van `n kind.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / With the aim of identifying central issues of bereavement, a literature study was undertaken and 22 bereaved participants were interviewed. The transcribed interviews of the participants were loaded on the Atlas ti. (2004) programme, specifically designed for qualitative analysis. From the analysis, four central issues, each with its own set of sub-issues emerged. The first central issue, called ‘Risk Factors’, had sub-categories of issues relating to the state of the family before the loss had taken place. These factors included issues such as the personality of the child, the ages and stages of individual members of the family, the bonds between family members and previous losses, which the family have experienced. Secondly, a group of issues, called ‘Bereavement’, were identified. The sub-categories in this group included aspects such as the circumstances surrounding the death, the way in which the child died, and the decisions parents had to make in the midst of the trauma. The third, and largest group of issues, called ‘Grief Reactions’, described the emotional-, physical-, spiritual-, cognitive-, behavioural- and relational reactions following the death. Finally, a group of related issues were identified as issues of ‘Mourning’. This group is associated with coping behaviours employed by the parents in attempting to continue life, in socially and culturally acceptable ways.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Most current grief programs support the children and/or parents of bereaved families rather than the family as a whole. This exploratory study was a quantitative and qualitative investigation of the use of expressive arts therapy with bereaved families during a weekend camp experience and a series of followup sessions. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of using expressive arts activities in improving the functioning of the bereaved family as a whole as well as individual family members. Participants included eight families who lost a child to a chronic illness between 2 to 36 months months prior to the onset of the study. Children ranged in age from 3 to15, and parents ranged in age from 26 to 66, for a total of 27 participants. The Child Life Department at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, a division of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas recruited the families. Participants received flyers and invitational letters and registered through the mail. Families attended a weekend camp where they experienced a wide variety of expressive arts activities in a combination of group formats: multi-family groups, parents' group, developmental age groups for children, total childrens' group, individual family group, mothers' group, and fathers' group. The research design was a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental control group design, but a control group could not be established. Therefore, one-tailed t-tests were used to compare participant functioning between the beginning and end of the study. Instruments used in this study included the Family Environment Scale, the Behavior Assessment System for Children the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. In addition, the researcher used qualitative analysis to assess contents of family members' and counseling staff's journals, expressive arts products, and family members' evaluations. Results of this exploratory study indicated some improvements in children's, parents' and total family functioning. Expressive arts therapy shows promise in effecting constructive change in bereaved families and is deserving of further research.

The current study assessed 125 conjugally bereaved persons using multiple self-report measures as indicators of personal adjustment and bereavement distress across three times of testing (initial, 6-month, and 3-year follow-up). Cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted to examine the causal relationships between adjustment and bereavement distress indicators and overall factors. Exploratory factor analyses indicate measures of adjustment load on a single Adjustment factor and measures of bereavement distress load on a single Grief factor. Considering results using composite scores for each variable, adjustment was significantly more predictive of bereavement distress than bereavement distress was predictive of adjustment for both Time 1 to Time 3 and Time 2 to Time 3. Adjustment issues measured by indicators such as the UCLA, POMS, HSC, BDI, and RSES significantly influenced the extent of grief symptoms as measure by the BEQ and the severity of scope of grief symptoms as assessed by the IOLQ.

Although funerals are seen as universal rituals to honor the death of a loved one, their value in facilitating the grief process is not known. The present study explored the relationships between cause of death, feelings and attitudes toward the funeral, and subsequent bereavement adjustment.