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Grief in childhood development - Coggle Diagram
Grief in childhood development
Infancy / The First Two Years
Biosocial
Attachment development and initial reactions to separation or loss.
Cognitive
(Piaget): Sensorimotor stage - how infants may not recall memories but can experience feelings of loss through changes in their environment.
Psychosocial
(Erikson): Trust vs. mistrust - the foundation for coping with grief through secure attachments.
Early Childhood
Cognitive
(Piaget): Preoperational stage - beginning to understand death but struggling with the permanence of loss.
Psychosocial
(Erikson): Initiative vs. guilt - feelings of guilt and responsibility for the loss.
Morals
(Erikson and Kohlberg) - basic understanding of moral norms affected by reactions to grief and trauma.
Biosocial
Understanding of permanence and the concept of death.
Middle Childhood
Cognitive
(Piaget): Concrete operational stage - logical thinking about death and its consequences.
Psychosocial
(Erikson): Industry vs. inferiority - developing resilience through social interactions and successes.
Morals
(Kohlberg): Introduction to conventional level - understanding and adhering to social rules; morality is based on conforming to the social order.
GRIEF & TRAUMA
Understanding of Grief and Trauma: At this stage, children begin to understand death more concretely. They may experience real grief and sadness over a loss and start to understand its permanence. "Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in bereaved children: A latent class analysis" notes that children in this age range can display both grief and trauma symptoms distinctly, which can influence their emotional and social development.
Symptoms and Reactions: Children may show signs of withdrawal, sadness, or fear. They might have intrusive thoughts about the death but are typically more concerned with the impact of the loss on their daily life, like changes in routines or caregiver shifts.
Impact on Moral Development: The experience of loss may prompt early moral questions about fairness and justice. Kohlberg suggests children at this stage are beginning to apply concrete rules to their understanding of right and wrong, which can be challenged by the experiences of loss and trauma.
Biosocial
Increased awareness of societal norms around death and mourning.
Adolescence
Cognitive
(Piaget): Formal operational stage - abstract thinking allows for deeper processing of grief and understanding of mortality.
Psychosocial
(Erikson and Marcia): Identity vs. role confusion; exploring identity statuses (diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, achievement) - crisis leading to deeper identity exploration or confusion.
Realization of impact of grief and trauma. (Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in bereaved children: A latent class analysis)
Morals
(Kohlberg): Continued development in the conventional level and initial engagement with the post-conventional level where morality is based on personal principles.
Impact of Grief and Trauma: Exploration of how trauma and grief influence moral reasoning and identity formation.
GRIEF & TRAUMA
Deeper Processing of Grief and Trauma: Adolescents have more developed cognitive capacities to think abstractly about death and can experience more profound and complex emotional reactions to grief and trauma. According to "Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in bereaved children: A latent class analysis", adolescents might belong to distinct classes showing varying levels of grief and trauma symptoms, which can significantly influence their emotional and psychological health.
Symptoms and Reactions: Symptoms may include persistent sadness, anger, or behavioral changes. Adolescents might experience more pronounced posttraumatic stress symptoms, including flashbacks or avoidance behaviors.
Identity and Moral Development: This stage is crucial for identity formation (Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion) and exploring moral and ethical beliefs (Kohlberg’s post-conventional level). Grief and trauma can significantly impact this process, either stalling or altering the development of a firm sense of self and moral reasoning.
Biosocial
Puberty and heightened emotional responses.
Emerging Adulthood
Cognitive
Postformal thought - nuanced understanding of morality, integrating emotion and rational thought.
Psychosocial
(Erikson): Intimacy vs. isolation - the establishment of intimate relationships can be influenced by one’s moral development and previous experiences of grief and trauma.
Morals
(Marcia): Re-evaluation of earlier commitments and exploration of new roles contribute to a solidified personal and moral identity.
Biosocial
Exploration of independence and personal relationships, completion of physical maturation.
GRIEF & TRAUMA
Continued Impact of Grief and Trauma: Emerging adults continue to refine their identity and may re-evaluate their beliefs and values in light of past traumas and losses. "Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in bereaved children: A latent class analysis" suggests that grief and trauma can lead to significant disruptions in this process, potentially resulting in prolonged grief or complicated bereavement.
Symptoms and Reactions: This age group might experience ongoing or resurgent symptoms of PTSD or PGD, especially as they face new life stresses or transitions that remind them of past losses.
Moral and Psychosocial Development: This stage involves exploring intimate relationships and solidifying a sense of community and purpose. Traumatic grief can challenge the development of close relationships and may lead to feelings of isolation (Erikson’s Intimacy vs. Isolation).
Adulthood/Late Adulthood
Cognitive
While cognitive decline may be a concern, many older adults maintain a high level of cognitive function, which helps in processing grief and integrating the experience into their understanding of life and death.
Cognitive processes in adulthood can be influenced by cumulative life stress and loss. Adults have the capacity to apply complex reasoning to understand and cope with grief.
Psychosocial
(Erikson): Generativity vs. Stagnation – Adults work to establish legacies and benefit future generations.
(Erikson): Integrity vs. Despair – Older adults reflect on their lives with either a sense of fulfillment or despair.
Morals
Grief and trauma can challenge their life satisfaction and feelings of integrity.
Experiences of grief can profoundly impact their sense of generativity and contributions to society.
GRIEF & TRAUMA
Grief can become a defining aspect of an adult's life narrative, influencing identity and social roles. Prolonged grief can lead to prolonged disruption in personal and professional life.
The management of grief in late adulthood is critical for mental health, as unresolved grief can lead to depression, social withdrawal, and physical health decline.
Biosocial
Adults may experience physical manifestations of chronic stress which can exacerbate aging. The lifestyle may shift to accommodate changes in health and social roles due to bereavement.
Older adults often face multiple losses in quick succession – friends, partners, and siblings. This can lead to compounded grief and significant changes in social networks and support systems.