The Lived Experiences of War Affected Bereaved Children and Attachment Under Orphanage Care in Pakistan

Abstract

This paper examined the lived experience of bereaved children in orphanage care settings. War affected children under residential care are prevalence to the experience of bereavement and neglect. In the occurrence of psychosocial issues, bereavement endures a variety of factors that negatively influence child mental health. In this article, attachment theory showed the significance between the culture of bereavement and public care, which supported the evidence that bereavement enacted to the vulnerable population at high risk for social deterioration. Thirteen war-affected children selected as purposive samples from three orphanages in Peshawar. Focus group discussions, semi-structured interview and child participatory observation used as a qualitative methodological approach. The descriptive phenomenological research examined the multiple war trauma factors, responsible for certain symptoms in normal grief and bereavement. These factors including the loneliness, sleeping disturbance, sadness, and bereavement may occur over the loss of loved one. Such children remain inevitably associated with their parents and family, therefore, responses of the parental lost is intimated in every culture differently. This article explores the implications of the relationship between attachment, and bereavement of specific loss. The description of literature and findings concluded that parental loss caused the significant risks of mental health with the most prevalent impact of psychological issues to all over the world. To cope with the consequences, implementation of prolonged effective mechanism with psychosocial support and primary attachment within child socio-ecological system should have to be encouraged.

Keywords: Children, Bereavement, Culture, War, Attachment, Care