Abstract

SANCHES, Amanda Moro; PESSOA, Alex Sandro Gomes; VELOSO, Milene Maria Xavier  and  KOMATSU, André Vilela. Expanding the support network for bereaved children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev. Subj. [online]. 2024, vol.24, n.3, e14632.  Epub Mar 09, 2026. ISSN 2359-0769.  https://doi.org/10.5020/23590777.rs.v24i3.e14632.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a psychosocial intervention in expanding the perception of the affective and social support network of children who lost one or more loved ones due to contamination to COVID-19. It is a quasi-experimental study based on the mixed-methods approach and with a cross-sectional design. Eighteen children aged between eight and 11 (M = 10; SD = 0.82) were randomly divided into an experimental group (GEx) and a control group (CG). The intervention was conducted over eight sessions and was conducted in the school context. The five-field map (MCC) was the technique usedfor data collection, and the data obtained in the pre- test (T1) and post-test (T2) measurements were evaluated through descriptive analyses and using the robust t-test for truncated means and dependent samples. The results showed that the intervention increased the strength of proximity in the friends field and increased the frequency of people cited in Level 1 of the MCC. Furthermore, the means showed that the effect size in favor of GEx compared to GC was of moderate magnitude in the family (δt = 0.4; p = 0.26), institution (δt = 0.53; p = 0.07), friends (δt = 0.41; p = 0.07), community (δt = 0.33; p = 0.45) dimensions and total (δt = 0.64; p = 0.11). The limitations of the research are presented, as well as future studies, especially concerning psychosocial intervention programs aimed at children who experience losses in disaster situations.

Keywords : childhood; pandemic; mourning; support network; intervention.

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