Bereavement in children : a social work approach

Abstract

Like adults, children grieve too. Even they pass through the phases of grief and have their own skills to cope with bereavement. However at times they require professional help to aid them with the turmoil of feelings and emotions that death brings into their life. Currently, in Malta, there is no service provided specifically for bereaved children. The aim of this dissertation is to address the feelings and needs of bereaved children who a lost a significant person in their lives due to terminal illness. The final goal is to design a bereavement group that will help children to find their own meaning for the death and learn to live with the loss. The first part of the dissertation examines the literature dealing with the phases, problems and variables that influence uncomplicated grief. The loss of a significant person in the child's life can cause great distress and may have an adverse effect on the child's development ifthe child is not allowed to grief. There are various ways in which carers and professionals can help the child during bereavement. This will be presented in the second part, which presents various interventions that can be of benefit to the bereaved child. It also specifies the role and tasks of the social worker working in the field of bereavement. Part three of the dissertation presents the methodology and the findings of the qualitative study, conducted to discover the feelings and needs of Maltese children who have lost a parent due to terminal illness. In conclusion, part four, presents the description, aims, activities and design of a bereavement group that will give the children an opportunity to 'heal' and share with others m similar situations.