Peer support and coping with grief in military families

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the national nonprofit organization providing compassionate care and comprehensive resources to all those grieving a death in the military or veteran community. For children under 18, TAPS provides Good Grief Camp, where volunteer Military and Legacy Mentors, often with personal loss experience, serve as peer mentors support. Legacy Mentors are young adults who lost a loved one in childhood and received training to help other bereaved children. This study examines the TAPS impact on young adults, focusing on Legacy Mentors. A survey of 314 participants measured well-being, complicated grief, posttraumatic growth, and hardiness. A series of t-tests showed former Good Grief Camp attendees and Legacy Mentors reported fewer complicated grief symptoms, while also showing more posttraumatic growth in the domain of "Relating to Others." In the regression model, Legacy Mentor status significantly predicted fewer complicated grief symptoms. Findings suggest TAPS peer support programs provide benefits to both those receiving as well as those providing support during bereavement.