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Reactions following the sudden death of a classmate
Author(s) -
Dyregrov Alta,
Gjestad Rolf,
Bie Wikander Anne Marie,
Vigerust Synne
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9450.00114
Subject(s) - hogan , grief , psychology , distress , clinical psychology , traumatic grief , psychiatry , sociology , anthropology
Findings from a study of adolescents grief reactions following the sudden death of a friend and a classmate are presented. The group (26 classmates) was followed up after one and nine months. Interviews and a questionnaire including the Imapact of Event Scale and the Hogan Grief Inventory were used. The general grief scores on the Hogan Grief Inventory indicated that the grief level was similar to that of adolescents who had lost siblings. The scores on the Impact of Event Scale showed a descline in distress level from 1 to 9 months. However, after 9 months about 1/5 of the students still scored above a clinical cut‐off point indicating post‐traumatic stress levels. Recommendations for improving help following such events are presented.