Content area
Abstract
Approximately 5% of adolescents and children will experience the significant loss of a loved one before the age of 15 (Currier, Holland, & Neimeyer, 2007). Numerous intervention efforts have been utilized to normalize the grief process for youth and to assist in the expression and exploration of loss. Several organizations have created weekend-long camps to serve as an avenue for youth to connect with others who have experienced loss with the hope that this early intervention effort may prevent youth from the onset of depression, chronic anxiety, or other psychological conditions. As well, early intervention has been noted as important in dissuading youth from engaging in activities such as adolescent promiscuity, drug use, or other high-risk behaviors.
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Camp Erin, a bereavement camp for children and adolescents, on participant hope, depressive symptoms, and self-perception. Three measures were used to examine these variables: (a) Children's Hope Scale (CHS; Snyder et al., 1997) (b) Children's Depression Inventory (CDI-S; Kovacs & Beck, 1977; Kovacs, 1983; 1992), and (c) subscales of the Self Perception Profile for Children (SPP-C; Harter, 1985). A repeated-measures within-group factorial ANOVA was utilized to examine the impact of Camp Erin on camper experience Pre- and Post-camp, and again at 8-week follow-up.
