Adolescence is a period of profound physical, emotional, and social changes during which an individual’s identity is formed. The loss of a significant person during this sensitive time can deeply affect an adolescent's development. This is why I sought to better understand how adolescents experience the loss of someone important to them and what kind of support and assistance they need during the grieving process. In the theoretical part, I focused on adolescence as a developmental stage that includes key tasks such as identity formation, gaining independence from parents, and building interpersonal relationships. I also examined various developmental factors – gender, family, school, peers, and values – that significantly influence adolescent development. Furthermore, I addressed the topic of death, which remains a taboo subject in many contexts, despite being an inevitable part of the life cycle. The death of a close and significant person can cause intense emotional distress in adolescents, increase their sense of vulnerability, and represent a particularly difficult challenge in their developmental journey. Grieving does not manifest solely on an emotional level but also affects the physical, social, and behavioral aspects of an individual’s life. In the chapter on grieving, I presented different authors’ perspectives on the grieving process, with a special focus on the specific characteristics of adolescent grief. It is essential to recognize that each individual grieves in their own unique way. I also highlighted the psychosocial needs of adolescents during grief and the important role of social work in providing appropriate support and help.
In the empirical part of the thesis, I conducted a qualitative study exploring how adolescents grieve the loss of a significant person. I examined the emotions they experience at the time of loss, their views on traditional cultural mourning practices (such as funerals and wearing black clothing), the role of developmental factors in coping with loss, and the sources of support they received during the grieving process. The findings show that adolescents experience a wide range of emotions following the death of a loved one, including horror, uncertainty, anger, fear, confusion, feeling lost, and emotional numbness. They emphasized a deep emotional bond with the person they lost, which made the grieving process even more difficult. Mourning rituals were recognized as an important part of saying goodbye, expressing emotions, and showing respect for the deceased. The most important sources of support were family, friends, and romantic partners, who provided help mainly through emotional support and conversation. One of the key findings of this thesis is that every adolescent grieves in their own way and copes with the distress of losing a significant person in a unique and individual manner.
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