Mental health among parentally and sibling bereaved children : the association with parental and friend support

• Main Author: Nanna Margrét Kristinsdóttir 1993-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn í Reykjavík
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Sálfræði; Ástvinamissir; Geðheilsa; Börn; Psychology; Bereavement; Mental health; Children; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/28632

Studies have suggested that parental or sibling loss in childhood can contribute to psychopathological problems and general distress, where children’s family environmental conditions after bereavement are the most effective moderators. The aims of the study were to assess the association of childhood bereavement with mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression and anger levels) after accounting for gender difference in mental health as well as mental health by different levels of social support. Furthermore, the aims were to examine if parental and/or friend support could moderate the effects of bereavement on mental health. Data in the study were obtained from the Youth in Iceland survey which was conducted by the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA) in February 2016. The sample included 4776 8th-10th grade elementary school students, of which 2393 were boys and 2335 were girls. The results demonstrated that girls had worse mental health than boys. In addition, parental and friend support had positive impact on participant’s mental health. Bereavement had negative impact on children’s mental health. Friend support moderated the relationship between bereavement and children’s anxiety and depression levels. Rannsóknir hafa gefið til kynna að ástvinamissir getur leitt til sálfræðilegra vandamála og viðvarandi streitu, en umhverfisaðstæður í fjölskyldu barna eftir ástvinamissi eru áhrifamestu miðlunarbreyturnar. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að rannsaka hvort ástvinamissir hefði sjálfstætt forspárgildi fyrir geðheilsu (t.d. kvíða, þunglyndi og reiði) barna eftir að tekið hafði verið tillit til kynjamunar í geðheilsu og geðheilsu eftir mismunandi félagslegum stuðning. Nánar tiltekið að bera saman geðheilsu barna sem höfðu misst foreldri eða systkini við börn sem höfðu það ekki. Að auki að skoða hvort að foreldra- og/eða vinastuðningur gæti dregið úr áhrifum ástvinamissis á geðheilsu. Þátttakendur rannsóknarinnar voru úr rannsókninni Ungt fólk sem Rannsóknir og greining stóð fyrir í febrúar 2016. ...