När en förälder dör : En studie av tre fiktiva tonåringars identitetsutveckling och coping vid förlust av en förälder

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to examine how the identity of teenagers is affected by the loss of a parent as well as what coping strategies support identity development. The reactions the teenagers exhibit, in such circumstances, will also be examined. To accomplish this,  a theory package was created, comprising theories in developmental psychology, identity work, coping and theory of grief reactions of children and teenagers. This package provided a broad perspective, which facilitated the analysis. Furthermore, it made it easier to address the purpose and the issue of the analysis. In this study, three fictional books, that deal with the subject, have been used. In the books, the teenagers share their experiences and life stories. By doing a content analysis, the centeral themes and events could be identifyed. The themes of the books were hermeneutically interpreted. The conclusions from this study are that the fictional teenagers feel as if they have lost a part of themselves after the event of death. The most frequently exhibited reaction is that they refuse to believe that one of their parents is dead, through preservation coping. When the teenager realizes that this preservation coping strategy fails, he or she is forced to change strategy. The development of the teenagers identity is stalled; there is a risk that the teenagers sorrow interferes with various developmental stages during adolescence. For this development to resume, the teenager has to decide which coping strategy to use to cope with the loss of a parent.