Date of Conferral

7-19-2024

Date of Award

July 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Dr. Susana Verdinelli

Abstract

Military-connected children face unique life stressors related to their parents serving in the military. Therapists play an integral role in supporting these families. Specifically, research on therapists’ use of bibliotherapy as a clinical strategy to support these children’s needs is recommended. Bibliotherapy uses written material such as books, stories, and poems to address clients’ needs. The purpose of this interpretive descriptive qualitative study was to explore therapists’ use of bibliotherapy as a clinical strategy to address the unique stressors faced by military children ages 3-8 years old. Shrodes’s model of bibliotherapy was used as the theoretical framework. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 11 clinicians who worked with military children aged 3-8 years using bibliotherapy strategies. The results of thematic analysis revealed three main themes: the therapeutic approaches for military-connected children, emphasizing the importance of rapport, tailored techniques, and involving other adults and activities based on the child's needs; the use of bibliotherapy, highlighting the selection and utilization of books according to the child's interests, developmental stage, and the benefits observed; and the various stressors faced by military-connected children, including common issues like deployment and relocations, as well as less frequently discussed challenges such as grief, school issues, and mental health diagnoses like anxiety and depression. The results of this study can be used for positive social change by promoting the use of bibliotherapy as a therapeutic support for military-connected children to help improve their mental health and decrease the stress of a lifestyle they did not choose.

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