Beyond bereavement: the impact of bereavement on the resilience of children and families

There are an estimated 300,000 Gypsies and Travellers in Britain. Despite Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers and Scottish Gypsy-Travellers being recognised as distinct ethnic groups, in re- cent decades these communities have faced increasing challenges to retaining their culture and traditional nomadic lifestyle with significant impacts on their health and wellbeing. In addition to facing inequality and discrimination Gypsies and Travellers experience noteworthy health inequalities and have a life expectancy which is considerably less than surrounding populations. Bereavement is a significant health concern for Gypsies and Travellers with substantially higher levels of suicide, maternal and infant mortality, miscarriage and stillbirth than is found in wider society. Multiple bereavements can result in long term health implications including depression, anxiety, and increased risk taking behaviours, including alcohol and substance misuse and complicated grief reactions in adults. In addition the close knit nature of Gypsy and Traveller communities means that the death of a relative is felt with great intensity articulated by some research participants as an event with which they ‘never come to terms’. The significance of bereavement and loss within these groups can therefore result in a continuum of loss and complicated grief throughout the lifespan. However, the effects on children of loss, or living with carers who are experiencing bereavement remain largely unrecognised, despite the increasing research evidence which explores the connection between early childhood experiences and later life chances. This paper presents emerging findings from on-going research studies exploring the bereavement experiences of Gypsies and Traveller families, and considers resilience in relation to the bereavement experiences of this marginalised ethnic group