Maladaptive coping in adults who have experienced early parental loss and grief counseling. (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Høeg, Beverley Lim; Appel, Charlotte W; von Heymann-Horan, Annika B; Frederiksen, Kirsten; Johansen, Christoffer; Bøge, Per; Dencker, Annemarie; Dyregrov, Atle; Mathiesen, Birgit B; Bidstrup, Pernille E
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 22:Number 14(2017)
• Page Start: 1851
• Page End: 1861
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: children -- coping -- counseling -- grief -- parental loss; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105316638550
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

This study compares maladaptive coping, measured as substance use, behavioral disengagement, self-blame, and emotional eating, among adults (>18 years) who have experienced early parental loss ( N = 1465 women, N = 331 men) with non-bereaved controls ( N = 515 women, N = 115 men). We also compared bereaved adults who received grief counseling ( N = 822 women, N = 190 men) with bereaved controls who had not ( N = 233 women, N = 66 men). Bereaved adults reported significantly more substance use, behavioral disengagement, and emotional eating than non-bereaved adults. Counseling participants reported significantly more substance use and self-blame than non-participants. Our results suggest that early loss may negatively impact the development of adulthood coping.