UK police receive a call about a missing person every 90 seconds and limited existing research suggests families left behind to cope with the ambiguous loss of a missing loved one will experience a range of problematic emotions which often leads to physical symptoms and deteriorating health. This research explores the lived experiences of family members with missing loved ones who have accessed support during this difficult time and the experiences of practitioners who provide support, in order to establish what elements of support are most helpful. A thematic analysis of twelve semi-structured interviews was conducted (6 with family members of long-term missing loved ones and 6 with practitioners working with this client group). Participants for both studies were purposefully recruited through the charity Missing People. Three overarching themes were identified from the family data. 1) Acknowledging the lived experience of ambiguous loss, 2) Different support at different times and 3) Counselling experiences that help. Four overarching themes were identified from the practitioner data. 1) Connecting with families’ needs, 2) Helpful concepts and theories, 3) Peer support and 4) A listening space in uncertainty. Key findings from the family data are that different types of support are more effective at different times in families’ missing journey and specific experiences in the counselling space are more helpful than others. Key findings from the practitioners’ data are that some psychological theories are helpful in working with this client group as is peer support and providing a safe listening space in uncertainty. These findings have the potential to shape service provision and aid counsellors who have never worked with this specific client group.
- Missing persons
- Ambiguous loss
- Interventions
- Grief
- Counselling
Helpful and unhelpful elements of support for families with missing loved ones
Whyte, D. (Author). 4 May 2023
Student thesis: Masters Thesis › Masters by Research