Grief Reactions and Coping Strategies to Parental Loss among in-School Adolescents in Kwara State, Nigeria

Oct 15, 2026

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The study examined grief reactions and coping strategies among in-school adolescents confronted with parental loss in Ilorin, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, it drew 200 adolescents through simple random sampling and purposive sampling. Data were collected with the Grief Reactions and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (GRCSQ), yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.82 via test–retest. Results showed adolescents experienced anxiety, nervousness, fear, nightmares, and shock, alongside low coping abilities. No significant gender differences were found in grief reactions and coping strategies; counsellors were recommended to organize grief counselling and therapy programmes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Grief reactions to parental loss

Grief counseling tasks and developmental influences

Coping strategies and support needs

Grief Reactions and Coping Strategies to Parental Loss among in-School Adolescents in Kwara State, Nigeria Samuel Kolawole Ajiboye PhD. Department of Counsellor Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria , [ajiboye.sk@unilorin.edu.ng](ajiboye.sk@unilorin.edu.ng) Michael Ajokpaniovo M.Ed. Department of Counsellor Education, Faculty of Education, University ofIlorin, Ilorin, Nigeria This study investigated grief reactions and coping strategies of in-school adolescents faced with parental loss in Ilorin, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive design of the survey method. Two hundred in-school adolescents were drawn using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. A questionnaire tagged “Grief Reactions and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (GRCSQ) was used for the research. The instrument possessed a reliability coefficient of 0.82 which was established through the test retest method. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were generated and tested using the measure of central tendency and ttest statistical tool respectively. The result revealed that in-school adolescents faced with parental loss experienced series of grief reactions such as anxiety, nervousness, fear, nightmare and shock. These in-school adolescents faced with parental loss have low coping abilities. İt was further revealed that there is no significant difference in the grief reactions to parental loss and coping strategies among in-school adolescents based on gender. The researchers recommended that counsellors should constantly organize grief counselling for in-school adolescents who have lost their parents; grief therapy programme which could help to manage various levels of grief reaction among students should be coordinated by the counsellors and help-giving professionals. Keywords: grief reactions, parental loss, coping strategies, in-school adolescents, bereavement INTRODUCTION The death of a parent is the most monumental loss that a child can experience. It is believed that children cannot understand death and lack the capacity to grieve. Because of this misconception, coupled with confusion and anxiety in communicating with children about death, children are often told that the dead parent has simply “gone away.” Shielding children from death deprives them of the ability to grieve and ultimately heal (Patterson, 2009) . The age and stage of development of a child atthe time of his or her parent’s death strongly influences the ways in which the child reacts and adapts to the loss. Patterson (2009) stated that an understanding of the child’s emotional and cognitive development can enable caregivers and professionals to determine how best to communicate about death with the particular child, to understand and empathize with the child’s experience and guide the child through the grieving and healing process. The early death of a parent affects a child’s development, and the child’s development affects how he or she will grieve and reconstruct his or her relationship with the deceased parent. Furthermore, children re-experience their grief as they reach each milestone in their development. Garber (1988), quoting the poem by Shel Silverstein stated that the deceased parent is a “missing piece” that the child needs. to reconstruct in order to provide himself with a “history of his past that he could then build on, alter and modify with changing developmental concerns…During each succeeding developmental stage, he may need to step back and…reconstitute the missing piece”(Garber, 1988, p. 272) . Worden (1996), a notable grief counsellor and expert, identified four tasks of mourning: accepting the reality of the loss; experiencing the pain and emotional aspects of the loss, adjusting to an environment without the deceased; and relocating the dead person in one’s life. The satisfactory completion of these tasks depends on both the child’s stage of development at the time of the death and his

FAQs

What grief reactions were reported among in-school adolescents after parental loss?

The study found reactions such as anxiety, nervousness, fear, nightmares, and shock.

How were coping abilities described for adolescents who experienced parental loss?

Adolescents showed low coping abilities in response to the parental loss.

Did gender significantly affect grief reactions or coping strategies?

No significant difference was found between gender groups regarding grief reactions to parental loss and coping strategies.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper