Bereavement support for South Asian community
Awais Ibrahim
Research in Social Service IssuesSheridan College
Grief is actually the beginning part of mourning, but a strong support system is needed in the mourning process also, which could last for years, and even lifelong.
---US psychologist David Fireman
Overview
Description of the topic Explore resources available to the
South Asian community Purpose of the research Background Barriers The vulnerable
Description and background
Grief and bereavement differs from culture to culture
Men, women, children grieve differently Children are “forgotten mourners” Support system is important Taboos Customs and rituals
Objective
Research-backed with evidence Help identify the needs of the
population Identify the barriers Policy implications Language barriers Social change
The population
South Asian immigrant community Death and dying still a taboo Support system in home countries Keeps children away from mourning Housewives not connected with
support Taking the dead home The financial factor
Demographics
Peel is more racially diverse than Ontario and Canada
38.5 per cent is visible minorities The largest group of visible minorities is South
Asian (155,055) Number of foreign-born people moving into
Ontario continues to rise Going up from 23.7 per cent in 1991 to 25.6
per cent in 1996 to 26.8 per cent in 2001 This population makes up for the 28.9 per cent
of Ontario’s visible minority (Census, 2006)
Demographics: The support system
All age groups
0 to 14
15 to 14
25 to 44
45 to 64
65 to 75
75 and older
South Asian in Ontario
126,2865
305,220
24.16 %
181,410 424,850
33.64 %
260,975 61,550
4.87 %
28,865
Support comes from the elders Elder population considerably less The new immigrants form the major part Children make one quarter, but considered “forgotten
mourners”
South Asian immigrants
Canada Ontario
Muslim 579,640 352,530
Hindu 297,200 217,555
Sikh 278,410 104,785
Ontario is the most frequent destination Muslim, Hindu and Sikh form the top three religions No community-specific hospices Little bereavement support, huge barriers
Why this is important?
Seen families emotionally disturbed
No resources Family support is in
home country Few religious places
Lack of support system
Lack of awareness Lack of spiritual
support Financial aspects Language barriers Asking for help a
taboo
Common themes
Children do certainly worry about death Children are excluded from the grieving
process Adults may not feel comfortable
dealing with children’s sadness Myth: Time is a big healer
Common themes
Talk about the significance of bereavement support groups.
Support groups are dynamic, effective tools for meeting the special needs of bereaved children
Spiritual aspects
Illness and suffering are viewed as God’s will and a test of faith
There is a struggle to reconcile present suffering with the promise of a good afterlife
Despair and anger are seen as spiritual deficits
Interventions
Teaching kids through the metaphor of visual arts
Story, film and drama Through puppets Stirring situations evoke in them a rich
source of insight, catharsis, and self-discovery
The Gaps
There are different ways of grieving in different cultures and religions
No mention of the support and resources
Bereavement and hospice is a new concept
Bereavement support groups run counter to general practice
Literature review listing
When children grieve--Book by J.W. Friedman
Bereaved children and teens: A support guide--Book by M. Schreder
The forgotten mourners--Book by S.C. Smith
Cross-Cultural aspects of bereavement--(Research report)
Grief: Counseling and recovery--Article by D. Fireman
Bereavement in Childhood--(Research report)
Non-traditional sources
Grief walker--A documentary by National Film Board of
Canada
Bereavement support at Heart House Hospice--Training manual
An individual in palliative care--Interview
The Small Creature--An animated story for bereaved children
Bereavement support group for South Asian immigrants
--Pilot project
Perspective of a child in bereavement!
A child in bereavement meets an angel(Please see the attached file named “kid questions”)
Conclusions and recommendations
Key findings
Key findings
The community needs additional resources
In line with Culture practices, religion and beliefs
Bereavement support groups Puppet therapy for children Barriers including language Spiritual support
My reinforcement
Children are the “forgotten mourners” Grief can come back anytime No resources for those whose loved ones die
outside Canada Literature of death and dying not available in
different languages Always knew it was an issue The scale of the issue turned out to be huge I started volunteer work in a hospice Trained in aromatherapy and reiki, which
relaxes those in palliative care
AS AN SSW
Death and dying area needs to be explored in depth
Advocate for more resources Educate and empower clients in bereavement Use active listening skills to be there for them Validate and reflect feelings Start school programs for South Asian families Advocate for books and brochures in different
languages
MY UNDERSTANDING
Statistics, interviews, needs assessment all indicate a social change is needed
(Please refer to another power point presentation, named the diary of a child in bereavement)