Adolescent Grief and Bereavement

The Prevention Researcher, Volume 18, Number 3, 2011, Item# 183

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During adolescence many youth become bereaved due to the death of a family member, loved one, or friend. While most youth are resilient and recover from their grief fairly soon, other youth have more difficulty and may need the help of supportive adults. In this issue we examine how bereavement impacts adolescents and how adults who work with youth can best provide support.

We begin the issue with an excellent article by David Balk who explores how adolescent development impacts the grieving process, and at the same time, how the grieving process might impact adolescent development. Dr. Balk also provides us with definitions of key terms used in the bereavement field.

Next, Sandra Lopez looks at the ways that culture may impact adolescent grief and bereavement, as well as the types of support we might provide. There is little research specifically about the connection between culture and adolescent bereavement, so Ms. Lopez draws on her own work in grief therapy with diverse adolescents to provide practical guidelines.

Our third author, Carol Thomas, was previously a school counselor in a public high school. Now, she is a therapist working with teens and she has an interest in providing support to teens who are grieving. In her article, Dr. Thomas interviews Wendy Littner Thomson, a bereavement coordinator in a hospice program. The goal of this interview is to provide our readers with insight into how they might be more effective in helping youth who are struggling with grief.

We end this issue with a fascinating look at the use of music therapy to help bereaved teens. Music is an integral part of teens’ lives and many youth already use music to regulate their mood. In this article, Katrina McFerran, a registered music therapist, explores the quantitative and qualitative research behind music therapy, and gives us insights into how music therapy might best be used with bereaved youth.

Losing a loved one is a difficult time for anyone of any age. Our goal for this issue is to provide a good understanding of the relationship between adolescent development and bereavement, so that adults who work with youth can provide needed supports to help bereaved youth successfully navigate through the grief process.

View the Table of Contents

Articles in this issue:

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Adolescent Development and Bereavement: An Introduction

By David E. Balk, Ph.D.

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Culture as an Influencing Factor in Adolescent Grief and Bereavement

By Sandra A. Lopez, L.C.S.W.

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Music Therapy with Bereaved Youth: Expressing Grief and Feeling Better

By Katrina McFerran, Ph.D., R.M.T.

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Supporting the Grieving Adolescent: An Interview with a 21st Century Perspective

By Carol A. Thomas, Ph.D., L.P.C.

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