CNL-518 Topic 8: Bereavement Across the Life Span

Directions: One's understanding of death and the bereavement process changes over the life
span. Using the matrix provided below, summarize how individuals understand the various
stages of life, death, and how each might grieve the loss of a loved one. Create a short vignette
for each age group that expresses your understanding of the age group's response to death and
bereavement. Finally, hypothesize how a clinical mental health or school counselor might
counsel each age group through the bereavement process. The first stage has been completed for
you as an example. Include in-text citations in the chart and references at the bottom of the
worksheet as appropriate. Do not exceed 50 words per box.

Age Group Perception/Cognition of Response to Vignette Developmentally

Grief Grief (short Appropriate
example/story Counseling
of a child’s Interventions
loss scenario) (including
empirically-
sound
interventions for
this age group)
Baby and Does not understand the Excessive A baby’s birth Counsel the
Toddler permanency of grief. crying and mother died guardians of the
yearning to be during baby to be sure to
held. delivery. tend to the baby’s
need for touch and
comfort.

Preschool Age Death to this age is seen as They may be A child’s Answering
temporary and something likely to mimic parent die in a questions the kids
that can be reversed, it the emotion of car accident have and give the
takes them time to those around child the choice
understand that a person is him, when they on how to say
gone forever. react they may goodbye.
also be over
dramatic and
revert to what
felt safe like
crawling or
looking to get

© 2020. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 Age Group Perception/Cognition of Response to Vignette Developmentally
Grief Grief (short Appropriate
example/story Counseling
of a child’s Interventions
loss scenario) (including
empirically-
sound
interventions for
this age group)
held (Pediatric
Society, 2017).
Grade School They begin to see death as A child looses Listen to the child
Age final, and become their and help them
concerned with how others They may act grandparents open up about
respond to death instead of out of anger of old age and how they are
themselves and may be sad focuses on feeling and
or unable to how their thinking.
concentrate in parents grieve.
school, as well
as have changes
in their daily
activities.

Adolescence/ They are able to They may feel When a close Listen to them
Teenage understand the facts about anger or guilt friend or a openly and let
Years death and can open up and can be family them express
about how they are angry with member themselves and
feeling, however it can themselves commits the individual who
lead to distress if they do because of the suicide. passed away. I
not (Stikkelbroek,2016(. guilt or at God, would also
as they look for suggest for the
someone to parents to talk to
blame. their kid and have
conversations at
home.
Adulthood Are usually more impacted Shock, and may A mother loses Help the adult go
by sudden loss and can feel numb to their child in a through their own

© 2020. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 Age Group Perception/Cognition of Response to Vignette Developmentally
Grief Grief (short Appropriate
example/story Counseling
of a child’s Interventions
loss scenario) (including
empirically-
sound
interventions for
this age group)
also feel guilty and go the situation or car accident. emotions and train
through the different have a hard of thought, I
stages of grief. time would also tell
understanding them to create
what happened. small goals that
are achievable in
the grieving
process.
Late May be confused about Losing a love An elderly It is important to
Adulthood death because of the one may trigger man loses his give social
amount of people they fear making best friend due support as well as
may have lost by now. them feel to old age. going over their
anxious and fears surrounding
helpless. They death.
may fear their
own death and
what will
happen to the
loved once left
behind.

References

Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2016). Human development: A life-span view. Cengage
Learning.

Pediatric Society New Zealand, (2017). Bereavement Reactions Of Children & Young People By
Age Group. Kids Health. Retrieved from, https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/bereavement- reactions-
children-young-people-age-group

Stikkelbroek, Y., Bodden, D. H., Reitz, E., Vollebergh, W. A., & van Baar, A. L. (2016). Mental
health of adolescents before and after the death of a parent or sibling. European child &
adolescent psychiatry, 25(1), 49–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0695-3

© 2020. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.