Publication year
2018
Citation Title
Predictors of continuing bonds among bereaved adolescents.
Journal Name
OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying
Journal Volume
76
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
237–255
DOI
10.1177/0030222817727632
Summary
Youth often experience continuing bonds (i.e., ongoing relationship to the deceased) after a family member's death; however, little is known about factors that can predict youth continuing bonds. This study had 50 bereaved youth and their caregivers complete questionnaires regarding their continuing bonds and grief symptomatology. Results indicated that youth's continuing bonds were not associated with caregivers' continuing bonds, but instead associated with their own symptomatology and closeness with the deceased.
Key Findings
Youth's continuing bonds with the deceased family member were not associated with caregiver symptomatology.
The closer youth were with the deceased family member, the stronger was the continuing bond.
Youth who showed more sympotomatology were more likely to have strong continuing bonds with the deceased family member.
Implications for Military Professionals
Attend training to understand the adaptive and maladaptive effects of continuing bonds for youth in military families
Collaborate with youth professionals to create an open and safe environment for bereaved youth in military families
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for bereaved youth who recently lost a parent
Develop workshops for bereaved youth in military families regarding adaptive and maladaptive ways to remember their deceased family member
Implications for Policy Makers
Support bereavement programs for military families that lost a family member during deployment
Encourage social media campaigns on military bases regarding the importance of addressing children's needs after losing a family member
Methods
Participants were recruited by email, mail, and provider referrals; the youth participants were clients of bereavement centers.
The youth and caregivers completed questionnaires separately; measures included youth's and caregivers' continuing bonds with the deceased and their symptomatology.
Data were analyzed to examine the relationship between youth continuing bonds, caregiver continuing bonds, and youth's and caregivers' bereavement symptomatology.
Participants
Participants were 50 bereaved youth (52% male) and 46 caregivers (15% male); 42 of the caregivers had one participating youth and four of the caregivers had two participating youth.
The average age of the youth was 13.32 years (age range = 11-17 years, SD = 1.99) and the average age of the caregivers was 45.17 years (SD = 10.95).
The youth were primarily White (66%), followed by Black (18%), Latino (8%), Asian American (4%), and other (4%); the caregivers were primarily White (85%), followed by Black (13%), and Latino (2%).
Limitations
The youth were recruited from bereavement centers; therefore, they may not represent bereaved youth who did not seek help.
The caregivers were mostly female (85%), so caution must be taken to generalize the findings to male caregivers.
The study was based on self-report data, so the results may be subject to memory bias.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct longitudinal studies to examine the causal relationship between youth grief symptomatology and youth continuing bonds
Increase the number of male caregiver participants so that the findings can be better generalized
Explore other factors (e.g., social support, academic performance) that may impact youth's continuing bonds
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between continuing bonds (CBs) among 50 bereaved youth (ages 11–17) and their bereaved adult caregivers, and predictors of CBs among youth. Results indicated there was not a significant relationship between caregiver CB and youth CB. However, significant relationships were found between youth bereavement symptomatology, their relationship to the deceased, and youth CB. Specifically, youth with higher levels of symptomatology and those who lost an immediate family member were more likely to maintain CBs. Results suggest the need for practitioners to incorporate grief symptomatology and CBs in assessment and intervention with bereaved youth.
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