We Need a Safe Place to Talk About How We Feel”
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Peer Grief Support Intervention for Youth in Foster Care
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13627970 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Monique B Mitchell (0000-0003-0300-9310, Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families, Portland, OR, USA, corresponding author), Donna L Schuurman (0000-0003-2172-1803, Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families, Portland, OR, USA), Margaret R Beam (Beam Consulting LLC, Portland, OR, USA), Juliette Martinez (0000-0003-1349-1841, Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families, Portland, OR, USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 302228251362661-302228251362661 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228251362661 |
| PMID | 40717031 |
| OpenAlex | W4412682051 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
A randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of a peer grief support program for youth in foster care, an underrepresented population who experience disenfranchised grief. The sample included 78 youth, ages 12-20, randomly assigned to a treatment or waitlist control group. Baseline and post-intervention surveys (8-week, 16-week, and 6-month) were completed. Measures included the Children's Hope Scale, the Inventory of Social Support, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a measure of problem intensity, and qualitative assessments. At six months, positive large effects were observed for hopefulness, social support, and self-worth. Youth reported the program contributed to their sense of relational connection and perceived support, assisted them with healthy emotional and behavioral management, provided a safe space to share their feelings, and problems had improved since beginning the intervention. The findings suggest the intervention demonstrates the power of peer support and positively addresses youth's experiences of loss and grief in foster care
Feeling · Foster care · Grief · Hopefulness · Intervention (counseling · Peer support · Population · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Randomized controlled trial · Scale (ratio · Social support · Clinical Psychology · Family Support in Illness · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology
College Students' Sense of Belonging
Society and the Adolescent Self-Image
The Development and Validation of the Children’s Hope Scale
Measures of Effect Size for Comparative Studies
Generalized Eta and Omega Squared Statistics
Students' Need for Belonging in the School Community
Recommended effect size statistics for repeated measures designs
Psychometric Properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
Positive Cognitive Reappraisal in Stress Resilience, Mental Health, and Well-Being
The L.Y.G.H.T. Program
I did not belong
Strengthening supportive networks for care leavers
A systematic review of social support interventions for youth in foster care
Testing the Grief to Personal Growth Model Using Structural Equation Modeling
Developmental heterogeneity of perceived social support among former foster youth
Former foster youth remember multiple placement moves
Sibling connections
I just want to be a regular kid
Senses of belonging when living in foster care families
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |