The Amuta
An Israeli model of caring for disenfranchised mourners
Keywords:
Bereavement, disenfranchised grief, military service, young adults, identityAbstract
AbstractUnmarried partners of soldiers who have died on active duty in Israel have traditionally been excluded from the recognised ‘family of bereaved’. They may be seen as a distinct group of disenfranchised mourners. A non-government organisation (The Amuta) was created in 1997 to provide emotional support, counselling, and remembrance ceremonies to these young men and women. The support offered aims both to acknowledge their loss and help them plan for the future. This paper reports the findings from a small-scale quantitative study of the experiences of some of the people who have sought help from The Amuta. The model of care it describes may be helpful to people bereaved in similar situations in other countries.
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