Intervention Measures that are Used to Support Children with Complicated Grief. A Case of Selected Public Primary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Children who do not have a parent or other caregiver who can help them both emotionally and physically during their grieving process are more likely to develop Complicated Grief. This study aimed to find out intervention measures that are used to support children with complicated grief in selected Public Primary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. This study was guided by Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory. Multistage sampling, purposive sampling, inclusion, and exclusion criteria were used to select 259 pupils aged 10-13 years who had lost a loved one to participate in the study. Purposive sampling was also used to select 22 class teachers of the bereaved pupils who participated in the study. The study employed a convergent mixed-method design. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires (SDQ, ICG, and STAB) and interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS Version 25.0. Qualitative data was gathered via interviews and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the most used intervention measure was counseling at 79.16%. However, the study found that only 3 out of 22 teachers were trained counselors. The study recommends the Ministry of Education introduces a school-based counseling program incorporating grief intervention techniques and recommends trained counselors who do not double up as teachers to be school counselors to negate dual relationships.