Book of Answers: Support the recognition and community psychological needs of teenagers who have lost their parents

Abstract

In China’s hospice services, the focus is often on the patient, and the care of the family is neglected because of the system’s inadequacy. However, when families face the loss of their loved ones, the emergence of grief is unavoidable. Grieving itself is a normal phenomenon, but due to the untimely intervention, some people’s normal grief eventually turns into complicated grief, which negatively impacts their physical and mental health. Therefore, patients’ families also need to be supported during their grieving process. However, each person’s grief response is different, which can be influenced by various factors such as culture, age and gender. This project aims to support the psychological needs of Chinese teenagers facing the loss of their loved ones.

Adolescents are at a more sensitive stage. They are beginning to form their values and already can understand what death is, but at the same time are not as mature as adults. At the same time, due to the Chinese culture -- seldom emphasising personal feelings expression and even having a habit of hiding negative emotions -- grieved teenagers are often refuse to express their needs and therefore do not receive timely psychological support.

Therefore, with the guidance of the 13 fundamental needs proposed by Pieter Desmet and Steven Fokkinga, this project explores the psychological needs that emerged during the teenagers’ grieving. Also, through interviews, participatory observation, and generative sessions, multiple stakeholders were understood and analysed to identify better roles and scenarios for support.

Finally, based on the research results, a toolkit called ‘Book of Answers’ was developed. This toolkit aims to be used by classmates to support teenagers’ recognition and community psychological needs who have lost their parents. With the help of the toolkit, the classmates will learn knowledge about bereavement and kindness expressions and then work as a group to create a ‘book of answers’ formed by self-made comfort cards. This book will be delivered

to the bereaved teenager eventually, conveying classmates’ goodwill at the same time. It is worth noting that although the classmates were the main users of the toolkit, teachers and bereaved teenagers’ parents were also involved in the final concept, working as a system.
Therefore, in the final evaluation, not only ordinary middle school students, but also teachers in school and a person who experienced parental loss evaluated the final design, all of whom commented on the concept positively. It could be said that this final solution supports the psychological needs of the bereaved teenagers, also provides education for the general students, and the proposed toolkit opens up new possibilities for psychological education in schools.