M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / There is a dire need within the South African context for psychological interventions (Landsberg, Kruger & Nel, 2005). Keeping this in mind, group interventions may prove to be a most beneficial and effective choice as it provides the opportunity to address several individuals systematically and simultaneously (Babbie, 2011). Smaller groups provide an opportunity of learning from others and the comfort of knowing that you are not alone. I was therefore interested in exploring cognitively challenged children’s response to puppet theatre addressing grief, within a group intervention. The theoretical framework employed in this study is the socio-cultural framework. Based on the work of Lev Vygotsky, which deals with the concept that the cognitive development of a child depends upon his/her response to the influences of the culture and society he/she is born in (Berk, 1997). His observation was that the social interaction brings about a gradual change in the way a child thinks, feels and behaves and this is variable from one culture to another. I take these views of knowledge being actively and continuously constructed and reconstructed with the impact and influence of social environments (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 2010) in order to explore the collaborative understanding of grief. The aim of this study was to explore cognitively challenged children’s response to puppet theatre addressing grief, within a group intervention. Puppet theatre presented an opportunity to work with children through ‘play’, thus forming an alliance with the children in a non-threatening manner (Granot, 2005). With the focus being on the puppets, not on the children, their responses to grief was observed and resulted in group discussions. As Glăveanu (2010) points out, creative acts are simultaneously forms of externalisation and cultural expression. Malchiodi (1998), stresses the importance of considering developmental delays, especially with the cognitively impaired, when working creatively with children. The research followed a phenomenological research design through purposive sampling of seven children from a Gauteng (South Africa) school for children with cognitive challenges. Data was collected through the means of unstructured group interviews and observations. In observing their experiences with puppet theatre in a group intervention, the aim was to explore their responses and understanding of grief. Narrative analysis of the data collected provided themes to guide my findings. The study found that group intervention did prove useful with creating awareness amongst the cognitively challenged participants by allowing them to connect with their emotions. Puppet theatre also proved effective in externalizing cognitively challenged children’s exploration of grief. Through the emergence of this research communities will be better informed to the value of group intervention and the advantages of puppet theatre with cognitively challenged children.

The parent-child relationship is significant throughout the life course, although both positive and negative changes occur as children reach adulthood and develop an identity independent of their family of origin. Grief resulting from parental loss during this time may be a product of many variables including age, relationship quality, and sex roles. The current study examined several variables potentially influencing grief after the death of a parent. As part of a larger study, adults (n = 180) completed measures assessing parental involvement, personal grief and adjustment, as well as sex role preferences. The archival data were subjected to analyses of covariance, taking into account time since the death and children’s sex role preferences (traditional or egalitarian). Female sex of the child was significant in predicting several aspects of grief, suggesting that women have a stronger emotional experience of grief. This may be a result of young women’s stronger emotional bonds with parents when compared to men, feelings of exclusion from college peers during bereavement, or vulnerability for rumination. Sex role preferences were also influential in several aspects of grief. Sex of the parent was not significant, although the interaction for sex of the parent and sex of the child was, suggesting that for daughters, the loss of a mother may be particularly difficult. Results suggest that women may express more intense emotions as part of the grief process and maintain stronger bonds with the deceased, although this likely depends heavily on cultural, familial, and religious contexts, as well as cause of death.

Our sample consisted of 116 adults aged 18 and older, recruited from college and community settings. Participants were currently in a romantic relationship and endorsed the sudden and/or violent death of a family member, close friend, or romantic partner. We hypothesized that: 1) prolonged grief is associated with poor dyadic functioning; 2) social support moderates the relationship between prolonged grief and dyadic functioning; 3) religious coping moderates the association between prolonged grief and dyadic functioning. Results indicated that prolonged grief was not significantly related to dyadic functioning, and neither social support nor religious coping moderated this association.

Skimming Stones is a collection of nonfiction essays that explore, through documenting various losses, the grieving process. The essays focus on the grief that comes from losing loved ones to death, infertility, and issues of self-image. They explore chemotherapy, accepting responsibility for myself, the needs of elderly relatives, and the consequence of facing significant sequential losses-the fear that death is waiting everywhere to claim another loved one. My family is at the heart of every essay, whether or not they are directly mentioned, because they were, and are, at the heart of me.

In this collection the poet explores the gyre of domestic life and specifically how this complex and paradoxical storm pulls women/wives/mothers in many directions at the same time. Using a variety of motifs including glass, water, fire, and bodies, she writes about the deluge of joy, grief, fear, passion, desperation, wonder, salvation, and destruction that accompanies devotion to children, partners, relatives, and friends. / Master of Fine Arts

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Trauma and grief often co-occur, however the degree to which these two constructs overlap or are distinguishable is still poorly understood. Homicidally bereaved individuals are exposed to both trauma and loss-related stressors. Previously collected data were used to explore the relationship between trauma and grief components in homicide bereavement distress, and whether homicide bereavement distress was distinguishable from that of other adverse life events. The overarching research question for this study was: Are event and loss related distress distinguishable among siblings bereaved by homicide,1 as measured on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R)? Data from 67 individuals who lost a sibling to murder while growing up (Murder Group) were compared to data from 80 comparison individuals who grew up with a sibling (Comparison Group), but who had no experience of homicide bereavement. A cross-sectional, iterative survey design using group comparisons was used. Participants in the Murder Group reported significantly higher levels of current subjective distress compared with the Comparison Group. Among the siblings bereaved by the homicide loss of a sibling, event- and loss-related subjective distresses were highly and significantly correlated. In addition, both decreased significantly over time (years), and at similar rates. Preliminary findings from exploratory analyses of the IES-R provide insight into the avoidance, intrusion, and hyperarousal components of subjective distress following homicide loss. Findings will inform understanding of the overlap, and distinguishing features, of concurrent trauma and grief. Implications for theory and empirical research are noted, and recommendations for future research and counselling practice are discussed. / Graduate / 2017-09-13 / simpson9@uvic.ca

Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.