Adolescents' Experiences 7 and 13 Months Following the Death of a Brother or Sister.
Dorothy Brooten, JoAnne M Youngblut, Rosa M Roche
PMID 28845135WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents who lost a sibling in the NICU/PICU/ED kept thinking about them for months, many worried about their mothers, some felt friends abandoned them, and some became more mature.
Ask them privately about grief, fears, school, and support.
Key findings
01All 17 adolescents reported thinking about their deceased sibling at both interviews.
02Most adolescents reported positive changes in themselves, including being happier, nicer, more considerate, more mature, and closer to family.
03A number of adolescents felt friends did not understand or were not there for them, while most reported concern about changes in their mothers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a qualitative interview study of 17 adolescents, so it describes experiences rather than showing what helps or harms. The sample was largely minority (89%), so findings may not apply to adolescents of other racial or ethnic groups. Most adolescents had at least one surviving sibling, so it says little about those whose only sibling died. Families with low incomes were limited, so it was hard to see differences by socioeconomic status. Follow-up ended at 13 months, so longer-term responses were not captured.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the positive changes as proof that a sibling's death is beneficial. The study asked bereaved adolescents to describe their experiences; it did not test an intervention, and many adolescents also reported distress, worry about parents, and feeling abandoned by friends.