Occupational Impact of Losing a Parent at a Young Age

Authors

Hailee Litchfield, University of St. Augustine for Health SciencesFollow
Susan MacDermott, University of St. Augustine for Health SciencesFollow

Files

Description

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of children who faced the death of a parent before the age of 18. With an emphasis on the specific occupational impact that resulted directly after the loss and then further into adulthood, 5 themes arose from the participants' responses. Unexpected roles changes, fear of loss, lack of support, loss of meaning, and family traditions lead to the identification of varying occupations, environmental factors and performance patterns that were impacted in some way. The results of this study highlight the need for more equipped, accessible and age appropriate bereavement services, as well as the understanding of how OT can be utilized to promote occupational performance and satisfaction when experiencing grief reactions.

Publication Date

Spring 4-21-2025

Publisher

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Keywords

Childhood bereavement, Grief

Medical Subject Headings

Parental death, Occupational performance, Occupational therapy

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Comments

Poster presented at the in-person OTD Capstone Symposium held at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on April 21, 2025.

Recommended Citation

Litchfield, H., & MacDermott, S. (2025, April 21). Occupational Impact of Losing a Parent at a Young Age. Poster presented at the Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, University of St Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/69

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.