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Theses/Dissertations

Death

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Children’S Experiences Of Parental Death, “Lost But Still Remembered”, Nour Salem Aug 2023

Children’S Experiences Of Parental Death, “Lost But Still Remembered”, Nour Salem

Dissertations, 2020-current

Parental death is prevalent during childhood, and the emotional, social, and behavioral effects on children’s development are well-documented. Although there is extensive literature on grief in children, most studies on children’s grief have obtained data about children’s experiences though collateral interviews with parents or caregivers, from adults who lost a parent as a child, or through quantitative measures with children and caregivers. Few studies have implemented a qualitative exploration of parental death by asking bereaved children. The objective of the current study was to involve parentally bereaved children in responding to the research question, “what is it like to lose …

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The Hidden Hauntings Of The Opioid & Overdose Crisis: A Policy Review Of Harm Reduction And Safe Injection Sites In Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, London, And Windsor., Finalba (Fina) Olivia Pirrone Jan 2023

The Hidden Hauntings Of The Opioid & Overdose Crisis: A Policy Review Of Harm Reduction And Safe Injection Sites In Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, London, And Windsor., Finalba (Fina) Olivia Pirrone

Major Papers

The drug and opioid overdose crisis have led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people. As such, harm reduction and safe injection sites have been making their appearances throughout Canada, specifically within British Columbia and Ontario. The policies held in Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, London, and Windsor raise many questions, all looking to see if their implementations are working. This policy review seeks to determine if harm reduction policy and safe injection sites are working to not only save lives, but to reduce the overall number of increasing overdose deaths. Through this review, it is concluded that harm reduction …

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From Building To Dwelling: Unfolding Infinity Through Bioregional Fulfillment, Sanjana Bhatnagar Jan 2023

From Building To Dwelling: Unfolding Infinity Through Bioregional Fulfillment, Sanjana Bhatnagar

Pitzer Senior Theses

The causes of anthropogenic climate change touch every feature of our modern-day existences. Approaches to sustainability tend to focus on material actions, but unsustainable practices are guided by an ontological orientation of individuality and human exceptionalism. This thesis provides an alternate account of being that decenters individuality through weaving the metaphysics of Fazang of the Huayan School of Mahayana Buddhism with the metaphysics of Martin Heidegger. To encompass the whole of the relational network that constitutes and conditionally defines our existence, I expand Heidegger’s account of locales as relational sites which are put forth solely by humans to an account …

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Context-Specific Conceptualizations Of Death In Early Childhood, Spencer Hart Winter Dec 2022

Context-Specific Conceptualizations Of Death In Early Childhood, Spencer Hart Winter

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Despite cultural myths and social taboos, young children are capable of understanding death and death concepts. Previous research has demonstrated that children have a varied and complex understanding of death that is influenced by their age, family culture, and previous experience. This study aims to differentiate children’s death concept depending on context, including children’s magical thinking, namely the difference between the deaths of a human, an animal, and an electronic toy. Using a modified version of the Death Concept Questionnaire, preschool-aged (3 to 5 years old) children (n=7) were presented with short video clips of a human, a dog, and …

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Fentanyl In The Global Market: Examining The New Opioid Epidemic At An International Level, Katherine Rejer May 2022

Fentanyl In The Global Market: Examining The New Opioid Epidemic At An International Level, Katherine Rejer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drug use and subsequent addiction is a major global health concern that transcends culture, borders, and generations. The production of synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, has exacerbated the worldwide opioid epidemic that is endangering public health, economic output, and national security. The ease of manufacture of synthetic opioids facilitates clandestine production and trafficking, while their higher potency leads to higher rates of overdose. This research seeks to analyze the dramatic increase in opioid overdoses around the world and explain the transnational variation of the epidemic. In particular, this study aims to compare the epidemic in the U.S and Estonia in contrast …

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Using Expressive Arts Therapies To Aid The End-Of-Life Transition For Older Adults: A Literature Review, Rosemary Lape May 2022

Using Expressive Arts Therapies To Aid The End-Of-Life Transition For Older Adults: A Literature Review, Rosemary Lape

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review presents the use of expressive arts therapies as they may be applied to end-of-life care for older adults. Death is inevitable and if given the chance to prepare, the expressive arts modalities provide a foundation to process the emotions associated with the ending of a life on earth. Expressive arts provide the opportunity to communicate in non-traditional ways which have the ability to locate subconscious themes. End-of-life care previously revolved around pain management. In more recent years it has evolved to caring for the whole person emotionally, socially, psychologically, and physically. Sources were found utilizing resources provided …

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Mortality, Mortuaries, And Movement - Implications Of Dance/Movement Therapy And Death: A Literature Review, Mckenna L. Allred May 2022

Mortality, Mortuaries, And Movement - Implications Of Dance/Movement Therapy And Death: A Literature Review, Mckenna L. Allred

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is a somatic-based psychotherapy approach that can supplement existing therapy techniques or stand on its own as effective psychological treatment. As a growing field, DMT continues to expand its application to different populations. This literature review analyzed the implications of DMT application for individuals who are dying. While the application of DMT with diverse populations has been studied, the literature regarding the application of DMT with dying individuals is slim. Medical, spiritual, and emotional treatment during death have received considerable attention in academic literature, however, the application of many body-based psychological treatment interventions has not been studied …

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“That’S What Hospice Is Supposed To Do”: How U.S. Hospice Care Staff Bridge Philosophy And Institutions, Morgan Alexa Leff May 2022

“That’S What Hospice Is Supposed To Do”: How U.S. Hospice Care Staff Bridge Philosophy And Institutions, Morgan Alexa Leff

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Hospice founder Cicely Saunders wrote that “the dignity and worth of each individual patient [are] central to Hospice philosophy—an idea closely tied to anthropological personhood (Saunders and Clark 2002). As dying in hospice becomes an increasing reality of life in the United States, we must grapple with how the ideals, costs, and challenges of hospice care play out in the healthcare system. The institutional structures meant to ensure a ‘good death’ (while protecting the interests of the state) can fracture care of the dying. As hospice staff work within and around these structures, they build meaning in care strategies that …

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Grey’S Anatomy And End Of Life Ethics, Sean Micheal Swenson Mar 2022

Grey’S Anatomy And End Of Life Ethics, Sean Micheal Swenson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, I analyze three episodes of the prime-time television medical drama Grey’s Anatomy to explore how the show stages conversations of end of life. I extend the work of end of life ethicists with attention to the ways that media may/should/could be used to teach and reflect issues of dying in America. Performing a close textual analysis, I identified two modes of storytelling within the structure of these episodes: Documentary Realism and Melodrama. I argue that if we are to understand medical dramas as a tool for the dissemination of information about end of life ethics, we …

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A Critique Of Frederick Nietzsche's Philosophy On Law, God, And Morality, Rebekah Vaughn Jan 2022

A Critique Of Frederick Nietzsche's Philosophy On Law, God, And Morality, Rebekah Vaughn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Friedrich Nietzsche is the last of the modern philosophers. His philosophy has influenced fields such as literature, psychology, and ethics. Nietzsche’s philosophy on ethics is primarily what will be covered. Nietzsche wishes to sever the connection between western civilization and God. He sees that people may no longer believe in God, but they still follow Christian morality. Nietzsche argues for a new morality, one humanity will create themselves. His famous line “God is dead” is an expression of what humanity needs to do with God. Nietzsche then argues the Overman will take over humanity, leading towards a world with a …

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Posthuman Queer Ecosexuality: Shakespeare And Earthly Consummation, Lisa Robinson Jan 2022

Posthuman Queer Ecosexuality: Shakespeare And Earthly Consummation, Lisa Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

“Posthuman Queer Ecosexuality” explores the culminating productivity of a queer landscape fertilized by dead bodies. Tragedy as a genre provides a higher queer possibility simply because it does not contend with picture perfect happy endings. By seeing an inherent connection between queerness and death, the paired couples of the specific Shakespearean tragedies explored in this project, King Lear (1605), Othello (1604), and Antony and Cleopatra (1607), fertilize the respective landscapes within their plots. These main six characters are queered by forced connections to nature due to their gender, race, or function as a ruling body. Once they are placed in …

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Mortality Salience In Therapists: Sudden Death Of A Patient - An Exploratory Study, Amanda Oliva Jan 2022

Mortality Salience In Therapists: Sudden Death Of A Patient - An Exploratory Study, Amanda Oliva

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore therapists’ experiences of the sudden passing of their patient. In particular, the researcher aims to explore the internal and external experiences of the therapist’s grief, as well as implications for training and professional life. Seventeen psychotherapists, ranging in professional training, aged 30 to 80, who lived in several states across the country, participated in individual interviews with the principal investigator via online video conferencing. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed, according to the qualitative research method of Auerbach and Silverstein (2003), to extrapolate themes and theoretical constructs from their anecdotal …

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Coping With Sibling Suicide: The Experiences Of Saint Lucians Of African Descent, Charmaine Hippolyte Emmanuel Jan 2022

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 …

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Cuando Llega La Muerte: How Undocumented Latinx Navigate The Financial And Emotional Burdens Of Death, Marilyn Valadez Jan 2022

Cuando Llega La Muerte: How Undocumented Latinx Navigate The Financial And Emotional Burdens Of Death, Marilyn Valadez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Research on death in the United States primarily focuses on the experience of citizens in the country with legal documentation. As a result, there exists a gap in knowledge on the experiences of undocumented people dealing with death in the country. This thesis examines how undocumented Latinx people navigate the financial and emotional burdens of death. Specifically, the methods that are utilized by this population to overcome challenges despite their unique circumstances. The results of this thesis suggest that social networks play a significant role in helping undocumented participants move forward with burial processes and overcoming grief. Social Networks provided …

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Human Rights Violations And Migrants' Deaths Across The United States And Mexico Border: A Policy Analysis, Mayra Arredondo-Garcia Aug 2021

Human Rights Violations And Migrants' Deaths Across The United States And Mexico Border: A Policy Analysis, Mayra Arredondo-Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

For this thesis project, the research question will be the following: “How do United States immigration policies contribute to the rising death and deportations of migrants across the United States and Mexico border?” Immigration policies is a widely debated political topic and often used as a but public debate often neglects to thoroughly consider the effects on the everyday lives of immigrants and their communities. It is essential to further research into immigration policies, their impacts on migrant communities and the implications for human rights. This research is intended to extend the understanding how the militarization of the border has …

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“Los Colores Del Duelo”: Expressive Arts Therapy As A Culturally Sensitive Intervention For Grief At An Individual And Systemic Level, Francesca Zanatti May 2021

“Los Colores Del Duelo”: Expressive Arts Therapy As A Culturally Sensitive Intervention For Grief At An Individual And Systemic Level, Francesca Zanatti

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Grief is a natural human experience that may occur at different levels: individual, familiar, community and systemic. Studies show that grieving may look different across cultures: considering that there are countries with a more collective nature, such as Peru, grieving and healing may involve interventions that allow working with grief at multiple levels. At the same time, grief theories have evolved through time, and bereavement has been largely conceptualized from a Western perspective. In recent years, the cultural component was added to clinicians’ and health professionals’ considerations when approaching grief and bereavement. This thesis will explore Western grief theories but …

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Framing The Border: Liminality In The Network Narratives Of Alejandro González Iñárritu, Muhammad Muzammal Feb 2021

Framing The Border: Liminality In The Network Narratives Of Alejandro González Iñárritu, Muhammad Muzammal

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis explores liminality conveyed as displacement before death in the network narrative films of Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu. Due to their depiction of existential crises and possibly fatal scenarios of several characters in different countries and regions, these network narrative films are colloquially referred to as the “Death Trilogy.” Therefore, rearranging the many strands of death-related abstractions and notions in these films around liminality becomes a jumping-off point to explore deeper layers of these works. Through interdisciplinary yet markedly film studies excavations, this thesis projects the liminal spaces of Iñárritu’s films onto border spaces. With borders considered as sites of …

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Std Prevention: An Educational Intervention For Exotic Dancers, Maria Delurdes Dehoyos Feb 2021

Std Prevention: An Educational Intervention For Exotic Dancers, Maria Delurdes Dehoyos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention reported nearly 2.3 million STD cases diagnosed in 2017, and the number is continuing to rise. San Antonio, Texas, is ranked third in the state of Texas with the highest STD rates and leading in the state with congenital syphilis. There is an increased risk for contracting STDs working in the sex industry. There are little to no studies pertaining to any educational interventions offered to exotic dancers to increase personal knowledge on STDs. This research has focused on an educational intervention offered by a nurse practitioner to exotic dancers in two adults-only …

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Undressing Evil: On The Language, Function, And Eradication Of Evil, Nelson Hilario Jan 2021

Undressing Evil: On The Language, Function, And Eradication Of Evil, Nelson Hilario

Senior Projects Spring 2021

How does one begin a discussion about evil? The question of evil is approached by different thinkers via fundamentally different routes, leaning on disparate methods, and asking distinct questions—the basis and intention of each inquiry differ. Nietzsche’s On The Genealogy of Morality shows us that the region of violence is language, that violence begins with language. This is Nietzsche’s categorical contribution to the study of evil: that “evil” belongs to the domain of language (in defining “evil,” contrasting “evil,” and developing a dialect to talk about “evil”). Furthermore, Nietzsche’s understanding of the role of guilt, and what one does to …

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A Phenomenological Study: The Perceptions Of Hispanic Males’ Classroom Behavior Based On Paternal Absence, Gabriela E. Matos Oct 2020

A Phenomenological Study: The Perceptions Of Hispanic Males’ Classroom Behavior Based On Paternal Absence, Gabriela E. Matos

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This qualitative research study used a phenomenological perspective to describe the perceptions of classroom behavioral challenges experienced by Hispanic young adult males who grew up without a constant paternal figure. The purpose of the study was to discover the essence of the effects of father absence on Hispanic males’ educational experiences to inform both parents and educators of the internalized and externalized classroom behaviors. The study presented Feuerstein’s mediated learning experience (MLE) as a theory for limiting negative behaviors in Hispanic males caused by father absence both in and outside the classroom. The method of inquiry followed Creswell’s defining features …

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Identifying The Universals Of Death: An Interpretive Analysis Of Mortuary Ritual In Ancient Egypt And Modern America, Sarah Snare Oct 2020

Identifying The Universals Of Death: An Interpretive Analysis Of Mortuary Ritual In Ancient Egypt And Modern America, Sarah Snare

Senior Theses

This project compares mortuary practices in ancient Egypt and modern America in an effort to identify cross-cultural consistencies in the treatment of the dead. An analysis of the meaning and motivations behind these rituals reveals that they serve similar functions in both societies. Death provokes intense emotions of grief and long periods of mourning, which can debilitate the people who knew the deceased and even the society itself. Therefore, to promote survival of individuals and the community, mortuary rituals must address these disturbances. Focusing on ancient Egypt and modern America, this study finds that mortuary practices function to restabilize society …

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The Effects Of Caregiving Robots On Mortality Salience With The Elderly, Mira E. Gruber May 2020

The Effects Of Caregiving Robots On Mortality Salience With The Elderly, Mira E. Gruber

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

As the world’s population of elderly persons rises (He, Goodkind, & Kowal, 2016), there is an increasing demand for people to care for the elderly. Caregiving robots are a potential solution to this problem. Research (i.e. MacDorman, 2005) suggests that uncanny, humanlike robots may elicit death anxiety, but it remains unclear whether non-humanlike caregiving robots also elicit death anxiety. This study expands on MacDorman’s study and investigates the effects of caregiving robots on death thought accessibility (DTA) and death anxiety in the institutionalized elderly. This research focuses on how caregiving robots affect the close relationship buffer against death anxiety, as …

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A Needs Assessment For The Utilization Of Child Life Specialist Bereavement Support Services In An Emergency Veterinary Hospital Setting, Jared R. Negin-Fryers May 2020

A Needs Assessment For The Utilization Of Child Life Specialist Bereavement Support Services In An Emergency Veterinary Hospital Setting, Jared R. Negin-Fryers

MSU Graduate Theses

Studies indicate that there is an affective attachment bond, and related emotional involvement that exists between the companion animal and their human owners. Patient companion-animal death within the veterinary hospital, is a daily occurrence, with death rates per patient being significantly higher than in human health care. This comparatively higher death rate is due to the commonplace utilization of professionally sanctioned euthanasia to relieve animal pain and suffering. Companion animal death, may elicit grief reactions that are identical to what is experienced upon the death of a family member. A void currently exists in family centered veterinary care in terms …

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Framing Death And Suffering: An Examination Of Photographs Of Dead And Dying During The U. S. Civil War, World War Ii, And The Vietnam War, Richard Anthony Lewis May 2020

Framing Death And Suffering: An Examination Of Photographs Of Dead And Dying During The U. S. Civil War, World War Ii, And The Vietnam War, Richard Anthony Lewis

Dissertations

The dissertation analyzes photographic images of dead bodies that appeared in news settings related to warfare in the United States in three distinct eras – the 1860s, the 1940s, and the 1960s. The primary subject of the analysis are photographs of corpses created in the context of the American Civil War (1861-1865), World War II including the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust (1939-1946), and conflict and war in Vietnam (1950-1975). While the sample represents a partial catalogue of images of the dead in the context of warfare since photography emerged in the 1840s as a medium for disseminating news, the …

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Investigating The Role Of Income Inequality In The Impact Of Natural Disasters In Lower Middle-Income Countries, Madison L. Graham May 2020

Investigating The Role Of Income Inequality In The Impact Of Natural Disasters In Lower Middle-Income Countries, Madison L. Graham

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

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Placing Notes In The Virtual “Western Wall”: Online Memorial Culture In Chinese Social Media, Xiaoyu Zhang May 2020

Placing Notes In The Virtual “Western Wall”: Online Memorial Culture In Chinese Social Media, Xiaoyu Zhang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Each society has a unique way of understanding death and coping with mourning. The increasing online mourners in China gradually generated a collective reference to the Weibo account that belongs to the dead, the “Western Wall.” This project searches for answers to two questions: 1) What characterizes Chinese online memorial practice? And how do these practices compare with those in the Western countries? 2) What aspects of Chinese culture and social conditions can explain Chinese online memorial practices? By combining corpus analysis with thematic analysis on 1,606 comments left on the last tweet of two accounts of deceased Weibo users, …

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Attitudes Toward Death: How Buddhist Teachings Help A Person Cope With Death Anxiety And Accept Death, Abigail Michaud Feb 2020

Attitudes Toward Death: How Buddhist Teachings Help A Person Cope With Death Anxiety And Accept Death, Abigail Michaud

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Death attitudes are an evolving field of study that continues to expand due to its universal relevance. Clinical and psychological research emphasize how these personal attitudes greatly impact a person’s life and death and are rooted in one’s unique perspective of death and the dying process. This paper provides an in-depth examination of two death attitudes: death acceptance and death anxiety. The two attitudes are complex and shift throughout a person’s lifetime depending on many personal factors, including culture, religion, and age. The paper reveals that death acceptance positively effects a person’s life and promotes greater quality of life, while …

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The Afterlife Of Corpses: A Social History Of Unburied Dead Bodies In Qing China (1644-1911), Joohee Suh Aug 2019

The Afterlife Of Corpses: A Social History Of Unburied Dead Bodies In Qing China (1644-1911), Joohee Suh

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation began with the reading of numerous Qing-dynasty records pertaining to dead bodies that remained on the ground without proper burial. These bodies were not necessarily the victims of extraordinary events such as wars or natural disasters, but the remains of ordinary people whose families failed to arrange a burial site. A wide range of historical materials recorded the presence of these bodies, such as commentaries and critiques on popular burial customs written by the imperial government and literati elites, and Qing popular tales where these bodies were described as man-hunting zombies (jiangshi 僵屍). These sources demonstrate unburied dead …

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Existential Art Therapy In Children’S Bereavement Groups: Development Of A Method, Catherine Johnson May 2019

Existential Art Therapy In Children’S Bereavement Groups: Development Of A Method, Catherine Johnson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Children and adolescents who have experienced the death of a family member are faced with the emotional journey of grieving their loss, which may be accompanied with existential concerns about life and death in general. Bereavement programs serve to connect children with others who know what losing a family member is like. Art therapy can be used in these bereavement groups to express and give shape to the emotions and memories the participants have. It is a non-verbal way to reflect and find meaning that can come from post-traumatic growth. This capstone thesis project explores an art therapy method for …

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Grief And Loss: Supportive Stories For Children With Autism, Danielle Kirsten Lewis May 2019

Grief And Loss: Supportive Stories For Children With Autism, Danielle Kirsten Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of grief on children with autism is an under-researched area of study. Until recently, it was often assumed that individuals with autism did not have the capacity to grieve. Because of deficits in social skills, interpersonal relationships, and language and communication skills, these individuals are especially vulnerable as they navigate the challenging social and emotional aspects associated with bereavement and grief. Bibliotherapy is offered as supportive strategy for bereaved children, providing them with structure and guidance through a time of uncertainty and change. This study is based on two focus groups, one with teachers of children with autism …

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