Ambiguous Loss in Adolescents

Increasing Understanding to Enhance Intervention

by Lynda Ashbourne, Linda Baker and Cindy Male (2002). A resource funded by Ontario's Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services. Loss that is unresolved or occurs in confusing situations can create uncertainty for young people that compromises their abilities to work through and cope with their losses. The challenges and negative impacts of ambiguous loss can be intensified by the accumulation of losses such as parental divorce, emigration/immigration, adoption, parental mental illness, pre-occupied parents, witnessing family violence, family illness, incest, or placement outside the family as in foster care or residential treatment facilities. This SIGMA publication includes information on the impacts of ambiguous loss, approaches for supporting young people, and intervention strategies.

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Ambiguous Loss in Adolescents

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Ambiguous loss: what is it?

• Events or situations that that may result in ambiguous loss

• How does ambiguous loss affect youth and their families?

• What you may see when working with high-risk adolescents experiencing ambiguous loss

• What you can do

• How to support young clients living with ambiguity

• Strategies for intervening with young people when ambiguous loss is triggered by divorce, immigration, adoption or witnessing violence

• Working with families

• From awareness to action - a group intervention

• How will knowing this information help your work with high-risk youth?

• References

Ordering Information

Copies can be ordered from the Centre. See our Publication Order Form for more information.

SIGMA Series

Check out the other four booklets in the SIGMA series:

• Conferencing for Youth

• Peer-to-Peer Aggression in Residential Settings ---> available for download

• Adolescent Depression and Suicide

• Adolescent Relationship Violence