Storybooks to facilitate children’s communication following parental suicide: paraprofessional counselors’ perceptions
Keywords
parental suicide, bibliotherapy, children's books
Abstract
Children often have difficulty talking openly about a parent’s suicide. Bibliotherapy can help, but no bibliotherapy studies address parental suicide. We gave a focus group (5 paraprofessionals) 15 children’s books addressing grief, parental suicide, and emotional expression, asking them which books were most helpful. They emphasized individualizing treatment to fit the child, recommending the books that honestly portrayed suicide, showed a way forward, provided hope, and assured children that they are not alone. The most highly recommend books were Bart Speaks Out: Breaking the Silence on Suicide and After a Suicide Death: A Workbook for Grieving Kids.
Original Publication Citation
Lindsay J. Regehr, Melissa A. Heath, Aaron P. Jackson, David Nelson & Elizabeth A. Cutrer-Párraga (2019) Storybooks to facilitate children’s communication following parental suicide: paraprofessional counselors’ perceptions, Death Studies.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Regehr, Lindsay J.; Heath, Melissa A.; Jackson, Aaron P.; Nelson, David; and Cutrer-Párraga, Elizabeth A., "Storybooks to facilitate children’s communication following parental suicide: paraprofessional counselors’ perceptions" (2019). Faculty Publications. 4557.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/4557
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2019-11-21
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7364
Publisher
Death Studies
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Family Life
Copyright Status
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Copyright Use Information
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/