Understanding How Individuals Cope with the Grief of Ambiguous Loss When Someone They Love Goes Missing
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Authors
Mayer, Katelyn
Issue Date
2024-10-08
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
ambiguous loss , physical ambiguous loss , ambiguous loss theory , coping , coping skills , complicated grief , missing persons , disappearance , loved ones of the missing , families of the missing , bereavement , grief , grief experience , grief and loss , disenfranchised grief
Alternative Title
Abstract
Each day, numerous loved ones feel the impacts of unresolved missing persons cases as they navigate the devastating experience of not knowing whether their loved one is dead or alive. The resulting grief, known as ambiguous loss, has a profound impact on the grief and loss experiences of individuals who are impacted by the disappearance of someone they love. Understanding how the uncertainty of ambiguous loss shapes coping responses in this population is critical in developing clinical approaches to grief counselling with those who are left behind. The results from 15 articles published between 2017 and 2024 were analyzed to answer the research question: "How do individuals cope with the grief associated with ambiguous loss when a loved one goes missing?" The thematic analysis reveals that the coping responses of loved ones of the missing change over time and center around three main objectives: Making sense of the disappearance, trying to reduce ambiguity, and learning to live with the ambiguity of disappearance. Key findings highlighted the need to address barriers to care associated with the disenfranchisement of ambiguous loss within support spaces by adopting open, client-centred, culturally responsive approaches to treatment. Additionally, treatment interventions should be tailored toward helping the left behind develop a tolerance for the fact that the ambiguity of disappearance may never resolve and to find meaning and connection within their grief experience so that they may move forward in the face of such uncertainty.