School-Based Bereavement Interventions for Children: A Scoping Review
摘要
Every year, millions of children are bereaved due to death of loved ones, with some children being orphaned. Bereavement can have a significant impact on children’s psychosocial functioning and academic performance. However, studies on school-based psychosocial interventions for bereaved children are limited. The current scoping review aimed to identify and examine empirical school-based interventions for bereaved children to elucidate the outcomes, populations included, providers, and the types of school-based interventions provided. Databases used included APA PsycInfo, Social Work Abstracts and Scopus, and hand search methods were also used. Zotero, a reference management program, was used to search keywords and abstracts. Full-text articles were then reviewed, and data were extracted. There were 41 articles in the study. The main behavioral health outcomes include depression, grief, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and emotional/behavioral problems. Outcomes related to school engagement and performance were limited. Most interventions were heterogeneous in terms of type of death experienced. Most studies occurred in the USA, with other studies conducted in 16 regions. The providers were mostly school-based and community personnel. Studies included 22 prevention and 16 psychotherapy interventions, most of which were structured grief and trauma interventions or incorporated art activities. Research on school-based bereavement interventions that include protective factors and academic performance outcomes is needed. Findings can inform policymakers, researchers, and school-based personnel to assess the current state of empirical interventions and to develop effective programs for bereaved school communities.