Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Therapeutic Approaches To Working With Perinatal Loss Clients: A Grounded Theory Study, Heather H. Olivier

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal loss (i.e., miscarriage, stillbirth, termination, and infant death) is commonly referred to in the literature as an invisible loss, non-loss, and even medical event. It is an ambiguous loss exhibiting the dialectical contradiction between the physical absence and psychological presence of the baby accompanied by disenfranchised grief, a reaction to a loss that is unacknowledged by society. Despite the likelihood of mental health clinicians working with clients who have experienced perinatal loss, there has yet to be a therapeutic model designed specifically for the unique grief and trauma reactions presented in this population. Existing grief models do not address …

Demonstrated Sensitivity, Kate Crankshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Flameworking is a tedious process that demands all of your attention and focus. Making multiples of a shape in this process allows my body and mind to fall into a rhythm. During these times, it allows my anxious mind to be quieted and helps me dive into processing past memories, trauma, and grief. It is commonly suggested in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy practices to find an activity to do that is both physical and repetitive to work through grief. This stimulates the physical and mental parts of the body, both areas where the effects of grief and trauma are held. Relaxing …

Deep In The Shadows Of Loss: An Exploration Of Grief, Mourning, And Intellectual Disability, Cara Grosset

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This qualitative research project explores grief and mourning experiences of people labelled/with intellectual disabilities subsequent to the death of someone important in their lives. The primary research question was: in what ways do people labelled/with intellectual disabilities experience grief after the death of a significant person in their lives? The need for a project of this kind is grounded in the lack of research and social work practice literature related to better understanding grief, mourning, and support experiences after a death from the perspective of people labelled/with intellectual disabilities. The dual purpose of this research is to better understand (and …

Disenfranchised Grief In Queer Companionship And Chosen Family, Derek Lowell Corns

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the ways in which queer people experience disenfranchised grief when mourning the death of a loved one who also identified as queer/LGBTQIA2S+ and whose relationship with one another existed outside of cisgender/heteronormative frameworks. Research suggests that the life experiences as LGBTQIA2S+-identified people can vary in specific ways to those of cisgender heterosexual people, and in the occurrence of death and bereavement, such circumstances can be further complicated and disenfranchised by the types of relationships the bereaved and the deceased shared. Through interviews and qualitative data analysis, this study provided supportive and informative insight into social work practice …

Coping With Sibling Suicide: The Experiences Of Saint Lucians Of African Descent, Charmaine Hippolyte Emmanuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe loss of a loved one to death is difficult. However, the loss to suicide entails increased pain and anguish due to the stigma attached to suicide. Sibling loss to suicide is a global concern as individuals can experience complicated grief reactions, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideations. These health concerns can negatively impact the individuals’ health and general well-being in the absence of healthy coping mechanisms. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Saint Lucians of African descent. The participants were 20 to 60 years old and had lost a sibling to …

The Home As A Site Of Family Communicated Narrative Sense-Making: Grief, Meaning, And Identity Through “Cleaning Out The Closet”, Kendyl A. Barney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study utilized communicated narrative sense-making theory to explore the process of sorting through a deceased loved one’s belongings and changing the home after loss (referred to as “cleaning out the closet”), as the site of family communication and storytelling. Through storytelling, families make order of the disordered experience that is bereavement by negotiating meaning, identity, and family. The stories told about and within the process of “cleaning out the closet” elicit rich insight on each family’s experience with bereavement, loss, and life with each other. “Cleaning out the closet” narratives shed light on the interactions that occur between family …

Beneficial Mourning By Inmates Who Have Lost A Significant Person, James Bradley Shoemaker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Incarceration is already replete with loss before someone of significance to an inmate dies. The prison environment challenges every aspect of grieving, and failing to effectively mourn pathologizes grief, reduces quality of living, and results in behaviours that cause recidivism. It is a poignant interaction between this researcher in his role as a chaplain and a particular inmate that provides the impetus for this study. This study begins with a qualitative meta-synthesis that examined 10 qualitative articles and dissertations published over the last 30 years to explore how some inmates manage to effectively grieve the loss of a significant person. …

The Self-Percieved Grief Competency Of Masters Level Therapists, Emily Rae Devries

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Bereavement is an experience that most people will encounter multiple times across their lifetime. Some people who experience grief are going to seek support in this process from a therapist. The NASW Code of Ethics suggests that social workers only practice in fields in which they are competent. This study will look at the self-perceived grief competency of master’s level therapists. Demographic data and a survey designed to measure the competency of a master’s level therapist was utilized to collect data to measure the self-perceived grief competency. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way between groups ANOVA, and correlation …

Grief As A Skill, Michael Sadowsky

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This qualitative research study examined seven professionals’ views on grief and loss and opinions regarding reframing grief as a skill. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted to provide data for this research study. Analytic induction was used for data analysis, with the research question being “how is grief a skill?” Major themes included grief being something that is done instead of an affliction or just emotions. Barriers to grieving was a theme, such as: grief not being taught and being sheltered from death, cultural norms that discourage grief or socialize grief out of people. Another theme was the ways that grief …

Grieving Students: School Social Workers’ Perspectives, Kaitlin Salscheider

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Children and adolescents often experience a wide variety of loss and disruptive change throughout their lives. School is where children and adolescents are expected to perform at their best intellectual, emotional, social, and behavioral capacity; however, the reaction after a loss can impact a student’s academic performance and include regressive behavior. Schools are a fundamental place for the development of children, and school social workers in particular work with students who have experienced a wide variety of stressful incidents and are critical in improving the social-emotional well-being in students. The purpose of this study was to explore school social workers’ …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Their Role In Grief Counseling, Dinh Q. Tran

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The experiences and perceptions of grief counselors regarding their work is an often ignored, though highly valuable topic. Previous literature suggests that practicing grief clinicians are largely utilizing outdated grief theories in their practices. This study seeks to elucidate the meaning of these findings, explore what grief clinicians are actually doing in the field, and learn from the insights and clinical innovations of these contemporary clinicians. In this study, 10 clinicians, who have all practiced grief counseling within the last five years, were interviewed using a semi-structure interview model. Their theoretical models, most commonly used interventions, and conceptualizations of grief …

The Impact Of Social Media On Emerging Adults’ Grieving Experiences, Nikole M. Sharpe

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Emerging adults experience developmental challenges when faced with loss. They are responsible for meeting developmental milestones, such as, identity achievement as well as mourning a loss both at the same time. This complexity is heightened when adding social media. Social media grieving has become a new way of mourning losses. However, there is still little data on the impact of social media on emerging adults’ grieving experiences. A systematic review was utilized to gather and synthesize the most current and relevant empirical data. Twenty five quantitative studies were selected for analysis and key data was abstracted including, sample size, age …

Acceptance Experience Of Parents Of Children With Mental Illness, Brieanne A. Gallaway

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study seeks to identify the grief and acceptance experiences of parents of children who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. In particular, the study compares the experiences of parents whose children have been diagnosed with a ‘socially acceptable’ diagnosis to parents whose children have been diagnosed with a ‘non-socially acceptable’ diagnosis. The study involved 29 parents who were recruited through the method of snowball sampling. A qualitative survey was distributed to parents, with descriptive statistics analyzed through frequency distributions. Qualitative questions were analyzed through content analysis, with responses transcribed and coded by the researcher. The research found that …

The Betrayed Partner’S Experiences With Grief And Loss Following The Discovery Of An Extramarital Affair, Melinda M. Degroot

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Betrayed partners experience a great amount of changes, losses, and grief following the discovery of an extramarital affair. The following study examines the stories of two women and four men from various areas across the United States who were the betrayed partner in a marriage that experienced extramarital affairs. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain information to answer the following research question: What are the betrayed partner’s experiences with grief and loss following the discovery of an extramarital affair within their marriage? Several themes arose from the findings including: 1) immediate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors such …

Social Work Services In Small Animal Private Practice Settings: A Veterinarian’S Perspective, Natalie K. Leiferman

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Humans share a strong bond with animals, when a pet becomes sick or dies an owner can feel extreme grief and bereavement. Research studies have shown that some veterinarians feel they are inadequately trained to handle the pet owner’s feelings of grief and loss. Social workers could have a unique fit in assisting bereaved pet owners, since many social workers help bereaved individuals successfully grieve the loss of a human loved one in a healthy way. The purpose of this study is to see what veterinarian’s attitudes are toward social work services in small animal private practice settings. Using a …

Social Work And Chaplain Perspectives In Offering Long Term Care Bereavement Support, Laura S. Tvedt

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Currently, more than 1.4 million people are considered long term care residents in the United States and one in five deaths happen in long term care facilities (Nursing Home Statistics, 2013). The purpose of this study will be to understand the types of grief and loss experienced by family members, as well as gain awareness of bereavement support systems in long term care facilities, what the support systems entail and what, if any, the barriers are to providing support. The research design was qualitative research with interviews. This design was chosen due to the exploratory nature of the research question. …

Friendgrief: Perspectives On The Loss Of A Friend, Katie M. Ueland

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This purpose of this study was to determine the connection between friendship and grief through interviews with professionals in the grief and loss field. The literature review explored friendship and grief within the framework of adult attachment theory. The two independent topics then merged in a discussion about the concept of Friendgrief, the grief experienced due to the death of a friend. The present qualitative study interviewed five grief and loss professionals working in various settings to discover their perspectives on Friendgrief and its implications on social work practice. The content analysis of the data was accomplished through transcription and …

Addressing Traumatic Loss And Grief Within Inner City High Schools, Jena Henry

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Experiences of trauma, loss, and grief have been shown to increase the likelihood of developing serious mental health difficulties and to decrease academic performance, which in turn can be harmful to an individual’s success. This research study examined the perceived prevalence of traumatic loss and grief within inner city high schools, as well as the methods used by inner city high school social workers to address traumatic loss and grief experienced by students, through the use of an online mixed-methods survey. Results showed that all participants perceive a percentage of their student population have experienced traumatic loss and grief, some …

Exploring Parental Experiences And Decision-Making Processes Following A Fetal Anomaly Diagnosis, Ramona L. Fernandez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Often the first indication that something may be wrong in a seemingly normal pregnancy occurs during the first detailed ultrasound appointment between 16 and 20 weeks gestation. Even the most tentative suspicions of fetal anomalies is jarring. Parent’s default reality of a normal pregnancy and a ‘perfect child’ changes to one of risk factors and the possibility of an ‘unhealthy child’. This study begins with the realization of this first loss in a series of losses that follow for parents as they grapple with diagnostic information to be able to make informed medical decisions regarding their fetus and pregnancy. The …

Grieving Mental Illness: Individual Experiences Of Grief, Loss, And Growth, Alissa Kaasa

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the grief experience of people who develop severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI). Group members and facilitators of a Grieving Mental Illness group that met at a suburban drop-in center were asked to voluntarily participant in semi-structured, qualitative, in-person interviews. Content analysis was used to find themes in the group member and facilitator interviews. The findings indicated that individuals with SPMI have a unique grief experience that is enhanced by many factors. Group participants expressed having cycling feelings of grief. These feeling were triggered by life events or reminders of the loss …

Continuing Attachment Bonds To The Deceased: A Study Of Bereaved Youth And Their Caregivers, Erica Hill Sirrine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although grief is a universal experience impacting the lives of many children and adolescents each year, not much study has been afforded to this population. In addition, the concept of a continuing attachment bond (CAB) or ongoing relationship to the deceased and its role as adaptive or maladaptive in the bereavement process is in its infancy of research among adult populations and is largely unstudied among bereaved youth. This mixed-methods study attempted to bridge the gap by examining the relationship between CABs among a sample of 50 bereaved youth (ages 11-17) and their bereaved adult caregivers. In addition, the study …

The Influence Of Surviving Children In Mitigating Symptoms Of Grief In Bereaved Parents, Jennifer Lynn Kachelek

Theses Digitization Project

This study seeks to answer questions on the effects of the presence of surviving children on bereaved parents' grief. Bereaved parents have been shown to be at risk for psychological, social and health related conditions due to the unique type of grief experienced from the loss of a child. Increasing knowledge related to factors that influence how bereaved parents process grief could lead to interventions becoming more appropriate in addressing the specific needs of this population.

A Grounded Theory Study Of Grief In The Lives Of Lesbians Age 60 And Older: Implications For Practice And Societal Change, Ginger Charlyne Meyette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experiences of self-identified lesbians age 60 and older concerning grief related to various life experiences and to develop a grounded theory related to the findings. The purpose goes beyond describing the phenomenon of grief focusing on grief related exclusively to death loss. The purpose includes eliciting comments about grief related to overt or covert discrimination due to ageism, sexism, and/or homophobia as well as the connection between the personal and the political in terms of what needs to change to bring about social justice.

The issue of grief in the …

Informal Caregivers Of Advanced Cancer Patients: The Impact Of Geographic Proximity On Social Support And Bereavement Adjustment, John Garland Cagle

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the social and psychological needs of caregivers of advanced cancer patients, and their subsequent bereavement adjustment. The study focuses exclusively on informal caregivers who provide assistance to patients receiving hospice care for end-stage cancer. Those individuals living furthest from the dying care recipient, the long distance caregivers, were of particular interest. This study used a prospective design to explore how a caregiver's geographic proximity impacted their social support and bereavement adjustment. A 2 x 3 repeated measures design was used to gather data from caregivers before a patient's death (using a pre-death questionnaire) as well as after …

A Community Grief Support Program For Children A Needs Assessment, Peggy Wolner

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the need for a community grief support program for children, Nineteen professionals who work directly with children participated in this study. Data were collected utilizing an interview with a closed- and open-ended item questionnaire. Among the topics discussed were knowledge of existing grief support services, interventions to facilitate a child's adjustment to death and the need for a grief support program for children Findings indicated all of those who participated in the study felt a grief support program for children was needed. Participants provided useful information for the development of future programs. …

Loss And Grief Measurement Tool For Battered Women, Sherrie A. Eisele

Theses and Graduate Projects

Research has focused on battered women's safety needs which are supportive of women leaving their abusive partners. Despite the established intervention techniques and the availability of concrete support services, a high percentage of women will remain in or return to violent homes. A gap in research surrounds the emotional attachments and the lack of intrapersonal support for battered women, which would provide them with a process to heal from the abuse. Through an exploratory method, this study designed an easy-to-use measurement tool to assess the loss and grief battered women experience. Qualitative interviews were conducted of practitioners in the design …