Open AccessDigital Storytelling as an Intervention for Bereaved Family Members
Author(s) -
Abigail J. Rolbiecki,
Karla T. Washington,
Katina Bitsicas
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
omega
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1541-3764
pISSN - 0030-2228
DOI - 10.1177/0030222819825513
Subject(s) - storytelling , digital storytelling , exploratory research , psychology , meaning (existential) , feeling , intervention (counseling) , psychological intervention , social psychology , qualitative research , psychotherapist , sociology , narrative , pedagogy , art , anthropology , social science , literature , psychiatry
Fourteen ( N = 14) bereaved family members participated in an exploratory study of Digital Storytelling as a bereavement intervention. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of this approach and to qualitatively assess potential impacts. Qualitative data revealed that for some, participation in Digital Storytelling facilitated growth and meaning-making. Themes from the data also revealed that participation in Digital Storytelling affected participants in these ways: (a) the writing and verbalization of the script helped participants organize their thoughts and emotions about the loss, (b) having the space to share with a collective group encouraged confidence in their ability to discuss their feelings with others, and (c) the final product served as a source of closure for participants. Although this was a small exploratory study, results were promising and suggest the clinical applicability of Digital Storytelling as a tool for facilitating meaning-making among bereaved family members.