Ambiguous Loss Among Families and Adolescents of Missing Persons: A Mexican Case Study

Extreme violence in societies that are unsettled by political instability, armed conflict, or authoritarian governments has been instrumental in individuals’ disappearance. The available information in Latin American countries and its effects on their family members has been insufficient and challenging. Based on a Mexican case study – the Martinezes family – this chapter analyzes their experiences on the disappearance of two of its members in 2012. It addresses its effects on each individual’s life and as a family group; it describes the reported experience by the mother, Esperanza, regarding her son, who was an adolescent at the time of the disappearance of his siblings, herself, and her husband; it examines how these experiences affected the family functioning, their identities, and coping strategies since then and how they built resilience through the meaning-making process of ambiguous loss. This case qualitatively represents what several Latin American adolescents and families go through and intends to contribute to a better understanding of their needs to further implement adequate mental health support.