Devastating Losses: How Parents Cope With the Death of a Child to Suicide or Drugs
English
By (author): Beverly Feigelman John Jordan John Macintosh William Feigelman
The text emphasises the sociological underpinnings of survivors' grief and provides data that vividly documents their critical need for emotional support. It explains how bereavement difficulties can be exacerbated by stigmatisation, and by the failure of significant others to provide expected support. Also explored in depth are the ways in which couples adapt to the traumatic loss of a child and how this can bring them closer or render their relationship irreparable. Findings suggest that with time and peer support affiliations, most traumatically bereaved parents ultimately demonstrate resilience and find meaningful new roles for themselves, helping the newly bereaved or engaging in other humanitarian acts.
Key Features:
- >li> Offers researchers, clinicians, and parent-survivors current information on how parents adapt initially and over time after the traumatic loss of a child
- Presents data culled from the largest survey ever conducted (575 individuals) of parents surviving a child's suicide or other traumatic death
- Investigates the ways in which stigmatisation complicates and prolongs the grieving process
- Addresses the tremendous value of support groups in the healing process
- Explores how married couples are affected by the traumatic loss of their child