Publication Date
2011
Document Type
Dissertation
Committee Members
Pamela Gulley (Committee Member), Cheryl Meyer (Committee Chair), Eve Wolf (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Abstract
The relationship that exists between siblings is unique, significant, and often lifelong, and to lose a sibling to death impacts the surviving sibling for a lifetime. There are many factors that can affect the bereaved sibling's grief responses, such as developmental factors, funeral attendance, cause of death, family dynamics, and time since the death. Interventions for the bereaved include individual, family, or group therapy, and support groups. Unfortunately, surviving siblings are often the "forgotten mourners" who are not connected to supportive services, and/or the community is lacking in programming for assisting bereaved children. Given the unique aspects of sibling bereavement and the limited resources that may be available to these youth, it seems necessary to consider ways to expand the availability and accessibility of support and coping resources that youth can utilize to promote their resilience. It is argued that the Internet can provide an appealing means to provide youth information, resources, and connection to other bereaved siblings. This paper presents the contents of a website, Sibs Remembered, developed for adolescents to help them understand their grief process, learn effective ways to cope, memorialize their sibling, and connect to others who share their pain. The website contains pages that list common grief reactions, celebrities who had a sibling die, songs and movies dealing with grief, activities for anniversaries and birthdays, and journal ideas. Limitations and future directions for providing online support are also discussed.
Page Count
100
Department or Program
School of Professional Psychology
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Copyright
Copyright 2011, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
