?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F6772%2F&rft.title=CHILDHOOD+BEREAVEMENT+AND+PEER+SUPPORT%3A+EPIDEMIOLOGY%2C+IDENTIFICATION+OF+EVALUATION+CONSTRUCTS%2C+AND+THE+PROMOTION+OF+RESILIENCE&rft.creator=Hulsey%2C+Eric+G&rft.description=The+death+of+a+close+family+member+is+a+profound+insult+to+a+child's+developmental+course.+Though+early+research+assumed+that+childhood+bereavement+was+a+risk+factor+for+mental+and+behavioral+disorders+in+childhood+and+adult+life%2C+recent+research+has+taken+an+ecological+view+of+childhood+development+and+considers+a+child's+exposures+to+risk+and+protective+factors.+Yet%2C+it+remains+unclear+as+to+how+many+children+are+affected+by+the+death+of+a+close+family+member+each+year+and+how+peer+support+groups+can+help+children+to+adapt+to+such+an+adverse+event.+This+dissertation+represents+three+distinct+stages+in+the+development+of+a+comprehensive+evaluation+for+an+agency+that+provides+a+peer+support+service+for+bereaved+children+and+their+families.+First%2C+a+primary+question+that+arose+during+initial+consultations+with+the+agency+was+to+determine+how+many+children+are+affected+annually+within+Pennsylvania.+This+led+to+an+exploration+of+the+epidemiology+of+childhood+bereavement.+The+methods+and+data+sources+used+to+produce+these+estimates+were+critically+evaluated+and+modified+to+offer+a+new+interpretation+of+available+data.+Second%2C+it+was+important+to+identify+constructs+that+could+be+used+in+an+outcomes+evaluation+of+the+peer+support+program.+Focus+groups+were+used+to+explore+the+perceived+benefits+of+attending+peer+support+groups+among+caregivers+and+teens+who+had+attended+a+spring+session+at+the+center.+The+intention+to+use+focus+groups+was+to+increase+the+validity+of+constructs+and%2C+ultimately%2C+the+results+of+an+outcomes+evaluation.Third%2C+after+identifying+evaluation+constructs+a+feasibility+study+was+conducted+to+pilot+an+outcomes+evaluation+instrument.+The+study+involved+30+families+who+attended+the+spring+2007+sessions+at+the+center.+Results+suggested+that+peer+support+programs+can+improve+children's+coping+efficacy+while+helping+to+improve+their+caregivers'+perception+of+social+support.+The+program+also+improved+both+children+and+caregivers'+sense+that+they+are+not+alone+in+their+grief.As+demonstrated+in+this+dissertation%2C+including+the+loss+of+siblings+and+primary+caregiving+grandparents+in+prevalence+estimates+of+childhood+bereavement+and+applying+resilience+theory+to+peer+support+research+is+of+public+health+relevance.&rft.date=2008-06-25&rft.type=University+of+Pittsburgh+ETD&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F6772%2F1%2Fhulseyeg2008.pdf&rft.identifier=++Hulsey%2C+Eric+G++(2008)+CHILDHOOD+BEREAVEMENT+AND+PEER+SUPPORT%3A+EPIDEMIOLOGY%2C+IDENTIFICATION+OF+EVALUATION+CONSTRUCTS%2C+AND+THE+PROMOTION+OF+RESILIENCE.++Doctoral+Dissertation%2C+University+of+Pittsburgh.++++(Unpublished)++