Ambiguous Loss: The Long-Term Effects on the Children of POWs

Shalev, Ronit; Ben-Asher, Smadar

doi:10.1080/15325024.2011.576983

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Yet only recently are we beginning to hear the grown children of POWs speak about the long-term effects of the captivity period from their perspectives as adults (Shalev and Ben-Asher 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of the Absence and Reintegration of a Prisoner of War Father from the Perspective of His Children as Adults

Ben-Asher

Shalev

2015

Journ Child Adol Trauma

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The studied test case presents the adult voices of Israeli children whose fathers were prisoners of war (POWs) in Egypt from 1969 to 1973. The study's findings indicate long-term effects of the captivity on the children of POWs, and that an inner formative experience associated with the period of the father's absence remains despite his return. The findings are explained by means of ambiguous loss theories and by loss and bereavement theories. Recommendations emerge for ambiguous loss to be recognized as a stress situation, and for professional and social assistance to be provided for the family in building a life routine that does not freeze in place, but continues during the father's absence and after his return.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of the Absence and Reintegration of a Prisoner of War Father from the Perspective of His Children as Adults

Ben-Asher

Shalev

2015

Journ Child Adol Trauma

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“…Therefore, relatives who assume that the disappeared person is dead might suffer less from psychological distress than those who assume that the disappeared person might still be alive. Nevertheless, these comparative studies and other studies [2, 4, 7, 8] show that relatives of missing persons might be susceptible for developing symptoms of PCBD, MDD, and PTSD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…Research on the psychological consequences for relatives of the disappeared is scarce and has mainly been conducted in the context of armed conflicts [1–8]. These studies indicate that the disappearance of a significant other is associated with elevated levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and/or disturbed grief.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychopathology in relatives of missing persons: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

Lenferink

Wessel

Keijser

et al. 2016

Pilot Feasibility Stud

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BackgroundIt is hypothesized that the grieving process of relatives of missing persons is complicated by having to deal with uncertainty about the fate of their loved one. We developed a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with mindfulness that focuses on dealing with this uncertainty. In this article, we elucidate the rationale of a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) for testing the feasibility and potential effectiveness of this CBT for reducing symptoms of psychopathology in relatives of missing persons.MethodsA pilot RCT comparing participants of the CBT condition (n = 15) with waiting list controls (n = 15) will be executed. Individuals suffering from psychopathology related to the long-term disappearance of a loved one are eligible to participate. The treatment consists of eight individual sessions. Questionnaires tapping psychological constructs will be administered before, during, and after the treatment. The feasibility of the treatment will be evaluated using descriptive statistics (e.g., attrition rate). The primary analysis consists of a within-group analysis of changes in mean scores of persistent complex bereavement disorder from baseline to immediately post-treatment and follow-up (12 and 24 weeks post-treatment).DiscussionA significant number of people experience the disappearance of a loved one. Surprisingly, an RCT to evaluate a treatment for psychopathology among relatives of missing persons has never been conducted. Knowledge about treatment effects is needed to improve treatment options for those in need of help. The strengths of this study are the development of a tailored treatment for relatives of missing persons and the use of a pilot design before exposing a large sample to a treatment that has yet to be evaluated. Future research could benefit from the results of this study.Trial registration NTR4732 (The Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR))

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“…The practical relevance of continued research to expand our understanding of the causes, correlates, and consequences of unresolved ambiguous loss is clear. The development of sensitive interventions designed to help rather than stigmatize individuals struggling with ambiguous loss would extend the pioneering scholarship of Boss (1980Boss ( , 2002b and other ambiguous loss researchers (Luster, Qin, Bates, Johnson, & Rana, 2008;Pérez, 2013;Samuels, 2009;Shalev & Ben-Asher, 2011;Sobel & Cowan, 2003). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cuba No; Miami Sí: Cuban Americans Coping with Ambiguous Loss

Perez

2014

Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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This study explores the lifelong loss that Cuban émigrés experienced after leaving Cuba following the 1959 revolution. Many left thinking they would remain in exile for a brief period, but a return no longer seems possible. Nevertheless, their attachment to the lost homeland persists. The annual Cuba Nostalgia event at the Miami Expo Center attests to this enduring sense of attachment. Employing a phenomenological framework, we interviewed 10 older attendees who left Cuba between 1959 and 1979. Themes that emerged from the interviews are consistent with ambiguous loss theory and also reveal positive coping skills and resilience.

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Ambiguous Loss: The Long-Term Effects on the Children of POWs

Cited by 10 publications

References 18 publications

Perceptions of the Absence and Reintegration of a Prisoner of War Father from the Perspective of His Children as Adults

Perceptions of the Absence and Reintegration of a Prisoner of War Father from the Perspective of His Children as Adults

Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychopathology in relatives of missing persons: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

Cuba No; Miami Sí: Cuban Americans Coping with Ambiguous Loss

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