Bereavement and the Troubles in Northern Ireland
The influence of context on long-term outcome
Keywords:
Northern Ireland Troubles, bereavement, social context, political context, resilienceAbstract
AbstractThis paper draws on a qualitative study of adults bereaved during childhood as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland to argue that bereavement interventions must address their individual, local community and wider social and political contexts if they are to be of any help. The article reviews the literature on traumatic bereavement, complex grief and resilience and on Northern Ireland and the effects of the Troubles. It uses excerpts from the interviews conducted in the original study to support its argument. It also highlights the need to be aware of continuing changes in the political and social context, such as the Northern Ireland peace process, and the effects these may have on individuals’ ability to resolve their grief.
References
Armour, M. 2003. Meaning making in the aftermath of homicide. Death Studies, 27(6): 519–540.
Commission for Victims and Survivors Northern Ireland 2009 . Final report: initial literature review of the needs of victims and survivors . Belfast : CVSNI . Available from: www.cvsni.org/Portals/3dd3c6ee-6448-41a8-8290-2643d6541d57/publications/Initial%20Review%20of%20Needs-Final%20Report-21Jan09.pdf
.
Dillenburger, K and Keenan, M. 2005. Bereavement: a DISC analysis. Behaviour and Social Issues, 14: 92–112.
Dillenburger K , Fargas M , Kelly GP , Akhonzada R 2006 . Long-term effects of trauma in Northern Ireland: personal accounts on coping with violence over a 20-year period . Presentation to Trauma – stigma and distinction: social ambivalences in the face of extreme suffering. 3rd International Trauma Research Net Conference, 14–17 September, St Moritz, Switzerland. Available from: www.traumaresearch.net/remarks/con_200609_olog.htm
.
Doka, K. 1989. Disenfranchised grief: recognizing hidden sorrow, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Fast, JD. 2003. After Columbine: how people mourn sudden death. Social Work, 48(4): 484–491.
Gilligan, C. 2006. Traumatised by peace? A critique of five assumptions in the theory and practice of conflict related trauma policy in Northern Ireland. Policy and Politics, 34(2): 325–345.
Hamber B 2004 . The impact of trauma: a psychosocial approach . Keynote address at A Shared Practice – Victims Work in Action conference, 7–8 April, Radisson Roe Park Hotel, Limavady, Northern Ireland. Available from: www.brandonhamber.com/publications/pap-trauma1.htm
.
Hayes, P and Campbell, J. 2000. Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder: the psychological sequelae of Bloody Sunday and the response of state services. Research on Social Work Practice, 10(6): 705–721.
Layne, CM, Beck, CJ, Rimmasch, H, Southwick, JS, Moreno, MA and Hobfoll, SE. 2009. “Promoting ‘resilient’ posttraumatic adjustment in childhood and beyond: ‘unpacking’ life events, adjustment trajectories, resources, and interventions”. In Treating traumatized children: risk, resilience, and recovery, Edited by: Brom, D, Pat-Horenczyk, R and Ford, JD. 13–48. London: Routledge.
McNally D 2007 . The significance of social and political context: a qualitative study of adults bereaved during childhood and adolescence due to the Northern Ireland Troubles . Quest 5 30–46. Available from: www.qub.ac.uk/sites/QUEST/JournalIssues/Issue5/
.
Monroe, B and Oliviere, D. 2007. “Introduction: unlocking resilience in palliative care”. In Resilience in palliative care: achievement in adversity, Edited by: Monroe, B and Oliviere, D. 1–5. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Muldoon, OT, Trew, K and Kilpatrick, R. 2000. The legacy of the Troubles on young people's psychological and social development and their school life. Youth and Society, 32(1): 6–28.
Pat-Horenczyk, R, Rabinowitz, RG, Rice, A and Tucker-Levin, A. 2009. “The search for risk and protective factors in childhood PTSD: from variables to processes”. In Treating traumatized children: risk, resilience, and recovery, Edited by: Brom, D, Pat-Horenczyk, R and Ford, JD. 51–70. London: Routledge.
Shevlin, M and McGuigan, K. 2003. The long-term psychological impact of Bloody Sunday on families of the victims as measured by the Revised Impact of Event Scale. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42: 427–432.
Smyth, M and Fay, MT. 2000. Personal accounts from Northern Ireland's Troubles: public conflict, private loss, London: Pluto Press.
Smyth, M and Hamilton, J. 2003. “The human costs of the troubles”. In Social science perspectives on the Northern Ireland conflict, Edited by: Hargie, O and Dickson, D. 15–36. Edinburgh: Mainstream.
Templer, S and Radford, K. 2007. Hearing the voices: sharing perspectives in the victim/survivor sector, Belfast: Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.
