ABSTRACT
Adolescent loss, grief, and trauma responses are distinctly different from those of children, and do not necessarily parallel the loss, grief, and trauma responses of adults. Therefore, both assessment and treatment of adolescents confronting loss, grief, and trauma necessitates approaches that differ from those utilized with children and adults. Adolescents can experience multiple emotions that exist separately, coexist, or alternate. Adolescent loss, grief, and trauma responses may include a sense of bravado, denial, anger and rage, shock, fear of one's own death, nightmares, insomnia, loneliness, survivor guilt, school problems, great sadness, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. Risk factors are those variables in an adolescent' life that add to the difficulty he may undergo when experiencing loss, grief, and trauma. Protective factors are those characteristics that help adolescents navigate through loss, grief, and trauma with an intact sense of self. The majority of adolescents affirm they have people they turn to who understand what they need, who are supportive and caring.
