Long-term effects of the Family Bereavement Program on multiple indicators of grief in parentally bereaved children and adolescents
- Författare
- Sandler, I.N., Ma, Y., Tein, J., Ayers, T.S., Wolchik, S., Kennedy, C. & Millsap, R.
- Titel
- Long-term effects of the Family Bereavement Program on multiple indicators of grief in parentally bereaved children and adolescents
- Utgivningsår
- 2010
- Tidskrift
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
- Volym
- 78
- Häfte
- 2
- Sidor
- 131–143
- Sammanfattning
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
This article reports on results from a randomized experimental trial of the effects of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP) on multiple measures of grief experienced by parentally bereaved children and adolescents over a 6-year period.
METHOD:
Participants were 244 youths (ages 8-16, mean age = 11.4 years) from 156 families that had experienced the death of a parent. The sample consisted of 53% boys and 47% girls; ethnicity was 67% non-Hispanic White and 33% ethnic minority. Families were randomly assigned to the FBP (N = 135) or a literature control condition (N = 109). Two grief measures, the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief and the Intrusive Grief Thoughts Scale (IGTS) were administered at 4 times over 6 years: pretest, posttest, and 11-month and 6-year follow-ups. A 3rd measure, an adaptation of the Inventory of Traumatic Grief (ITG) was administered only at the 6-year follow-up.
RESULTS:
Compared with the control group, the FBP group showed a greater reduction in their level of problematic grief (IGTS) at posttest and 6-year follow-up and in the percentage at clinical levels of problematic grief at the posttest. The FBP also reduced scores on a dimension of the ITG, Social Detachment/Insecurity, at 6-year follow-up for 3 subgroups: those who experienced lower levels of grief at program entry, older youths, and boys.
CONCLUSION:
These are the first findings from a randomized trial with long-term follow-up of the effects of a program to reduce problematic levels of grief of parentally bereaved youths.
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