Duelo infantil por la muerte del progenitor y trabajo social. Una perspectiva evolutiva

Abstract

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar la especificidad de los procesos de duelo a los que se enfrentan los/as niños/as cuando muere uno de sus progenitores y la relación que este afrontamiento mantiene con su desarrollo cognitivo y emocional. La finalidad será posibilitar el diseño de evaluaciones e intervenciones eficaces desde el Trabajo Social, por cuanto esta disciplina se ocupa de situaciones de vulne- rabilidad y riesgo tanto a nivel individual como familiar y comunitario. Ante la novedad del tema en este ámbito de conocimiento, se ha llevado a cabo una metodología de revisión bibliográfica sistemática en bases de datos nacionales para detectar su alcance actual en la literatura de nuestro entorno. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la escasez de trabajos desde esta perspectiva, predominando aún el enfoque psicológico y el formato de guía informativa para familiares o profesionales. Se observa un énfasis en la relevancia de la edad y su correlación con las adquisiciones cognitivas, sobre todo desde modelos piagetianos, a la hora de cubrir las necesidades de los menores ante esta situación vital, especialmente la de proporcionarles in- formación acerca de la pérdida, así como en la mayor efectividad de la intervención con el progenitor su- perviviente u otros familiares que con el propio niño. Se indica que un adecuado cumplimiento de las tareas propias del proceso de duelo contribuye a la adquisición de nuevas habilidades de afrontamiento y a la pre- vención de alteraciones en el desarrollo posterior.

The aim of the present paper is the analysis of the specificity of grieving process for parent death in childhood and the relationship between coping strategies and the cognitive and emotional development. The purpose will be to design effective assessments and interventions from Social Work, while this discipline deals with vulnerability and risk both individually or family and communitarian levels. Because the novelty of the topic from this point of view in our country, it has conducted a review in national databases in order to detect its current scope in the literature of our environment. The results highlight the paucity of documents in our field of knowledge, meanwhile the majority of works were focused on psychology perspective and published as information guide for families or professionals. It is noted the emphasis in the relevance of age and its correlation with cognitive acquisitions, especially since Piagetian models, when the needs of minors have to be covered in this life situation, especially to provide them information about the loss; and on the greater ef- fectiveness of the intervention with the surviving parent or other family members than those with the child himself. It indicates that a proper accomplishment of the tasks of the grieving process contributes to the acquisition of new coping skills and preventing alterations in the later development.

The aim of the present paper is the analysis of the specificity of grieving process for parent death inchildhood and the relationship between coping strategies and the cognitive and emotional development. Thepurpose will be to design effective assessments and interventions from Social Work, while this discipline dealswith vulnerability and risk both individually or family and communitarian levels. Because the novelty of thetopic from this point of view in our country, it has conducted a review in national databases in order to detectits current scope in the literature of our environment. The results highlight the paucity of documents in ourfield of knowledge, meanwhile the majority of works were focused on psychology perspective and publishedas information guide for families or professionals. It is noted the emphasis in the relevance of age and itscorrelation with cognitive acquisitions, especially since Piagetian models, when the needs of minors have tobe covered in this life situation, especially to provide them information about the loss; and on the greater ef-fectiveness of the intervention with the surviving parent or other family members than those with the childhimself. It indicates that a proper accomplishment of the tasks of the grieving process contributes to theacquisition of new coping skills and preventing alterations in the later development.