Scarred silence : a study on anticipatory grief among adolescents with a terminally ill parent.

• Main Authors: Garrucho, Regina Lisa E., Williams, Melody C., Wong,, Gerald S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2000
• Subjects: Anticipatory grief; Terminally ill parents; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10357
• Institution: De La Salle University

The relationship between male and female adolescents and their terminally ill parent is an association unlike any other. Conceptual and theoretical models of the process of adjustment following loss and trauma have stated the critical role that the forewarning of loss, time and circumstances surrounding death plays. This study described the anticipatory grief process among adolescents whose parent was diagnosed as terminally ill. In-depth interviews were employed with the use of an unstructured interview guide for gathering data. Six middle class male and female adolescents ranging in ages of 13 to 17 years whose mother or father was diagnosed as terminally ill participated in the study. The research results presented emerging themes in the identified phases of the anticipatory grief experiences of male and female adolescents according to thoughts, feelings and behaviors along with the diagrammed course of sensibilities and actions towards the acceptance of loss. The self-reported experiences of the adolescents were seen to take place within a progression of phases, which were identified as: (1) initial reactions (2) working through and (3) resolution. The experiences which were defined as thoughts, feelings and behaviors / activities included statements which described that the process of anticipatory grief was similar for both adolescent males and females. Differences in the experiences of the adolescent individuals were likewise seen to occur based on factors surrounding death, which included the aspects that described the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon of anticipatory grief. Analyses of the findings presented that there were critical points within each stage, which presented predictable patterns of responding to the expectations of loss. The critical points included the manner in which the information was disclosed regarding the terminal illness of the parent, spirituality as a means for coping throughout the identified phases of grief, and the act of maximizing the time spe