Date of Award
Spring 6-12-2026
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Kelley Quirk
Second Advisor
John Holmberg
Third Advisor
Michaeleen Burns
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Keywords
Suicide loss, Adolescence, Bereavement, Models of grief, Literature review, Psychoeducation
Abstract
Adolescence is a complex developmental time. For adolescents grieving a suicide death, there can be added layers of complexity in navigating this developmental period, due to unique challenges and stigma, family disruption, trauma, unanswerable questions, feelings of rejection, abandonment, responsibility, and anger that can result from a suicide death loss. Through a literature review of the available research on adolescent suicide bereavement, this doctoral paper examines models of grief, adolescent development, and suicide loss, aiming to bridge the literature in all these domains. Despite the high prevalence of bereavement in young people, there are limited, tailored resources designed to support their grief journeys. Using the literature review as a foundation, the appendix of this paper presents a supportive handbook for adolescents grieving a death by suicide to understand and process their experience of loss, gain tools and psychoeducation for integrating the loss into their lives, and help individuals feel less alone in their bereavement process while navigating adolescence.
Copyright Date
5-15-2026
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Gabriella Potter
Provenance
Received from author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
87 pgs
File Size
739 KB
Recommended Citation
Potter, Gabriella, "Lost in Loss: A Supportive Handbook for Teens Grieving the Suicide of a Loved One" (2026). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 595.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/595