Presentation by Ruth Evans, University of Reading, at the public panel, A Holistic Approach to Young People's Psychosocial Wellbeing, 22 November 2016, hosted by ODI and the University of Reading.

1. LIMITLESS POTENTIAL | LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES | LIMITLESS IMPACTLIMITLESS POTENTIAL | LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES | LIMITLESS IMPACTCopyright Universityof Reading
A holistic approach to young people’s psychosocial wellbeing
ODI, 22 Nov 2016
Ruth Evans
r.evans@reading.ac.uk
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DEVELOPING A ‘BEREAVEMENT AWARE’
FAMILY-FOCUSED APPROACH
Participation Lab & Global Development

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FAMILIES, HOUSEHOLDS & CARE
• Beyond death as an ‘economic shock’
• Crucial to understand family context
• Reciprocal caring responsibilities
• Gendered caring roles of children & youth
• Mobility, constantly changing nature of households
• Fluidity of ties of kinship and household membership
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MEANINGS OF ‘FAMILY’ IN URBAN SENEGAL
(EVANS ET AL, 2016)
• Difficult to reconcile information from family
profiles, interviews with 2 family members
• Relatives may be part of the household during the
daytime, and share meals, but go elsewhere to sleep
at night
• Majority lived in large households
• Child fosterage practices

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MEANINGS OF ‘FAMILY’ IN URBAN SENEGAL
(EVANS ET AL, 2016)
• Strong interdependence of family ties &
responsibilities
• Solidarité and even kinship included neighbours:
‘We help each other here in the suburbs. I don’t think anyone can eat while
there’s a family next door who can’t eat; at least you’ll try to give them
something’ (young woman in focus group).
‘When a person dies all the neighbours, all your neighbours, your friends,
everyone comes to share your pain. Everybody comes and gives something to
help you with the costs, we really live as a family, even neighbours are part of
the family’(Djibril, who lived in a 'comfortable' household).

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• Individual and family wellbeing dependent on inter-
and intra-generational relationships
• Importance of sibling relationships
• Gendered and age-related assumptions about the
values of a respectable family
MEANINGS OF ‘FAMILY’

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INTERWOVEN IMPACTS OF BEREAVEMENT
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Social
impacts
Economic
impacts
Emotional
impacts
Eg. changes in
household headship &
generational relations,
increases in paid work or
unpaid domestic and
care work, residential
relocation
eg. feeling alone,
missing advice,
company, somatic
symptoms, loss of
motivation,
concentration in
school, anxiety over
everyday survival,
breakdown
eg. loss of
income,
changes in paid
work,
migration,
residential
relocation,
household
dispersal

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INTERWOVEN IMPACTS OF BEREAVEMENT
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Social impacts
Economic impacts
Emotional impacts

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POLICY & PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
• Economic, emotional, social dimensions of a family death are
interwoven and shape young people's gendered transitions
• Need for ‘Bereavement Aware’ family-focused approach
which goes beyond the individual or household
• Crucial importance of engaging with extensive family and
community support networks
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FULL REPORT AVAILABLE FROM:
BLOGS.READING.AC.UK/ DEATHINTHEFAMILYINSENEGAL
@DrRuth_Evans r.evans@reading.ac.uk