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)