Abstract
An empirical study of the effectiveness of an eight-week children's bereavement psychotherapy group was undertaken. Children, aged 7–11, who had a parent and/or sibling die were initially assigned to either a treatment group or a waiting list control group and followed over an eight-week period. Participation in the experimental group was associated with a significant decrease in symptomatology, as assessed by multiple measures using multiple sources. Despite a small sample, the intervention was sufficiently powerful to suggest the use of short-term group therapy to help children cope with the death of a parent and/or sibling.
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The research reported here was originally included in a dissertation written in fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph.D. at Brigham Young University. We wish to acknowledge the helpful suggestions and support from Dr. John Flora-Tostado, Dr. John Lyons, Dr. Joanne Marengo and the participants in the Post-doctoral Research Seminar at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Lambert is a Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University.
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Tonkins, S.A.M., Lambert, M.J. A treatment outcome study of bereavement groups for children. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 13, 3–21 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876592
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876592