Open AccessChildren or adolescents who lost someone close during the Southeast Asia tsunami 2004 – The life as young
Author(s) -
Adebäck Petra,
Lundh Lena,
Nilsson Doris
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.2563
Subject(s) - feeling , grief , distress , psychology , indonesian , interpretative phenomenological analysis , psychological distress , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , mental health , psychiatry , qualitative research , social psychology , philosophy , social science , sociology , linguistics
Abstract Introduction To lose a person close suddenly, during childhood or adolescence, can be devastating. Many children or adolescents experienced the 2004 Indonesian tsunami when they were between 10‐ and 15‐years‐old. This study, from Stockholm, Sweden, describes the long‐term effects of loss, eight‐ or nine‐years post disaster, in young adulthood. Method A mixed‐method approach was used including statistical analyses ( n = 210) and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results It was shown that there was a significant difference between bereaved ( n = 34) and nonbereaved ( n = 176) respondents concerning, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and self‐rated health. Three themes were found by using the IPA approach ( n = 9): Living in traumas, carrying heavy baggage, and living with change. Conclusion The respondents described personal feelings of grief that are not expressed in their outward appearance or behavior in their daily living. When meeting young adults that have lost someone close in childhood or adolescence, this is important to have in mind.