The loss response list: a tool for measuring adolescent grief responses

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Health
• Grief Research

Background:

• Adolescent grief, particularly related to perinatal loss, is a complex area requiring sensitive measurement tools.
• Existing instruments may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of grief responses in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Loss Response List (LRL) for assessing grief responses in adolescent girls.
• To examine the reliability and validity of the LRL across different pregnancy statuses.

Main Methods:

• Two studies (pilot n=40, follow-up n=164) involving single adolescent girls aged 13-19 years.
• The LRL was used to measure physical, emotional, social, and cognitive grief responses.
• Participants were grouped by pregnancy status: never pregnant, pregnant, perinatal loss, and perinatal loss with pregnancy.

Main Results:

• Pilot study: Significant differences in emotional, social, and cognitive grief responses between perinatal loss and no-perinatal loss groups.
• Follow-up study: Significant differences in grief subscales between the perinatal loss group and other groups.
• Significant differences in depression levels were observed between perinatal loss and never pregnant groups.

Conclusions:

• The Loss Response List (LRL) demonstrates reliability and validity for measuring adolescent grief.
• The LRL is a valuable tool for understanding grief responses, including those related to perinatal loss, in adolescent girls.