Child Bereavement Study

The authors believe that losing a loved one through death is a universal human experience, and this includes children. Although many clinical theorist are skeptic about the relevance of grieving for children, it is noted that children are able to express their grief in ways that are not similar to an adult. The grieving process for children are associated with a variety of psychological impacts such as dysphoria, learning difficulties or abilities, low self-esteem, and many other issues. According to the authors, the Child Bereavement Study by Worden in 1996 showed that most bereaved children are resilient. These children, however, display behavioral and emotional difficulties. Therefore, bereaved children are now provided support and comfort …show more content…
The child in the studies had to experience death of a loved one, and was either in a bereavement intervention group or not that enabled the child to cope with bereavement. Out of the thirteen studies, twelve studies used group therapy as the primary method with an emphasis on the therapeutic aspect. The grief therapy attempted to improve coping skills and the understanding of grief by talking about the deceased and expressing one’s feelings. The effect of treatment was then analyzed by analyzing the description and data gathered from the thirteen studies. Through the meta-analysis process, the authors noted that there was no significant difference between the children that underwent bereavement therapy or not. On average, the treated child did not appear to be better than the child who did not participate in the grief therapy. One reason for the lack of effectiveness is the tendency to believe that grief is a pathology. This believe may cause more trauma that may lead to further psychological or emotional impacts. Another reason for the lack of effectiveness could be caused by the large difference in time when the child began interventions. It was noted that the bereaved child had a better responds to grief therapy when the treatment closely followed the time of the loss. The treatment was also effective when the child genuinely wanted treatment; this …show more content…
Since bereavement and grief is a common encounter, children should receive an effective treatment and therapy to deal with grief. As noted in the article, grief experienced by children may affect a child’s psychological, emotional, and physiological aspect. At the same time it, it may affect the child’s academic performance. Therefore, forming appropriate and effective therapy to deal with grief is needed. The authors’ research using several existing studies evaluates the present methods, and provides a useful guidance for future research and counseling practices that provide a better child grief therapy with strong and feasible coping methods specifically designed for each child’s lifestyle. One weakness regarding the article was that the authors evaluated the effectiveness of the therapy with the child itself, and not therapy that involved both caretaker and child. If the authors had looked into studies that incorporated the family system, the effects of grief therapy and interventions would have looked different, and a more positive effect on the child would be observed. If the authors had evaluated more studies, they could have gotten a more accurate result. Further research is needed to ensure that treatment that help bereaved children to cope is noted and implemented in various setting, not just by mental health professionals. Grief therapy should not