Children's descriptions of their feelings and what they found helpful during bereavement

Although clinicians have described the value of support groups in assisting children mourn the death of someone close, little is known about helping children with bereavement. By understanding what helps children mourn, nurses can better facilitate a healthy bereavement process. The purpose of this mini-ethnographic study, which used observation and participation procedures, was to identify what 16 children found helpful during their bereavement. Initially, the children's expressions of feelings were demonstrated both verbally and through art work. The patterns of the children's emotions were labeled as affective distress, somatic complaints, and for the boys, disruptive behavior. The children then described their mourning processes as being facilitated by out-of-door activity, yelling, and talking to others (e.g. God, mom, grandmother or grandfather).