Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Daniel Parker

Abstract

Despite the prevalence of sudden death in adolescence, there is a deficiency of resources and support for adolescents who have lost a close friend to premature death. These resources are vital, as the sudden and unexpected death of a close friend is often traumatizing and can contribute to a sense of instability in young people. Although a great deal of academic research has been conducted on sibling or parental grief during adolescence, there existed a need for further research on peer loss during adolescence. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to describe the essence and meaning of the lived experience of bereaved emerging adults who have undergone the sudden death of a close friend during adolescence, which was reflected in the primary phenomenological research question. The present study was grounded in post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory, which is a way of describing the positive personal growth that individuals may come to experience after living through a traumatic event. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used as the methodological framework for this research, wherein eight participants engaged in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed through first open coding and then axial coding methods. The results indicated that adolescents experienced a host of negative effects after loss, often came to experience PTG outcomes, were rarely offered formal bereavement resources, found intangible supports to be valuable, and exhibited ambivalent attitudes and behaviors. Ultimately, by improving the scholarly understanding of this phenomenon, efforts to improve this demographic’s long-term PTG outcomes can be reinforced, leading to positive social change by making a small contribution towards benefitting bereaved young people.

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