Sudden infant death syndrome counseling approaches

SIDS Counseling Treatment Plan

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Treatment Plan

The unexpected death of an infant is a heartbreaking tragedy. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) refers to the sudden death of a child which occurs without any known cause. While there are some risk factors for SIDS, little is known about the disorder. Sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States (McClain, Arnold, Longchamp, & Shaefer, 2004). Families, who lose a child because of SIDS, require assistance in acknowledging their child's death and expressing grief in a safe and healthy manner. Christian grief counseling provides families affected by SIDS with the support and skills to identify and express their emotions after the sudden death of a child.

The purpose of Christian bereavement counseling is to promote the understanding of death and grief and the healthy expression of emotions. A treatment plan for a family affected by SIDS will include eight weekly sessions of family counseling. In addition, there will be individual children's counseling sessions to address any fears or guilt regarding the SIDS death. An assessment and a semi- structured interview will be administered to determine the most appropriate counseling interventions. During the assessment, the counselor will utilize open ended questions and reflective listening techniques to assist each family member to talk about the event. Younger children may also be evaluated using play and art therapy techniques. The counselor will review the family's mental health and substance abuse history, and determine whether there is sufficient emotional support in the community, including church and youth group participation. If suicidal ideation is present, or pre-existing mental health or substance abuse diagnoses have been exacerbated by the trauma, the counselor will make appropriate referrals to community mental health services.

Counseling will include psycho-education sessions regarding SIDS, the stages of death and grief, and Christian teachings about death. The stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Common emotional reactions to SIDS include audio or visual hallucinations, anger, depression, and recurrent dreams of the deceased child (McClain et al., 2004). Family members will learn to identify emotions relative to the stages of grief, and acknowledge and accept their painful, emotional feelings about the child's death. The counselor will also utilize scriptural teachings to educate the family about death and grief. Biblical teachings about grief and loss include David's response to his child's death in 2 Samuel12: 18-19, and 2 Samuel 12:23. Other biblical references to death and grief include psalm 23, Luke 18-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and Mark 5:21- 43. Because of the tragedy, the family may be angry at God, no longer have faith, or think they are being punished. (Newman, 2006). The counselor will utilize reflective listening to acknowledge complex, emotional feelings, and cognitive restructuring techniques to identify and restructure maladaptive beliefs (Worden, 2009).

Psychotherapy techniques will be used including narrative therapy, letter writing, and bibliotherapy to assist the family in identifying and expressing grief. In narrative therapy sessions, family members will tell personal stories about the deceased child, including any significant memories they want to share. Children who are unable to verbalize memories may draw a picture of their baby brother or sister, or discuss their sibling in a play therapy session (Worden, 2009). Letter writing is another useful grief counseling technique. Writing a letter to the deceased child allows family members to say goodbye and express unresolved emotional feelings about the child's sudden death. Another technique used in Christian counseling is bibliotherapy. In bibliotherapy sessions, the family will read spiritual literature on Christian topics including death and dying. The counselor will also teach progressive relaxation skills, especially to family members suffering from anxiety and stress-related insomnia. In progressive relaxation, individuals learn to relax muscle groups and use breathing techniques to promote stress relief (Newman, 2006).

In each counseling session, the counselor will acknowledge any confused, emotional feelings family members express using reflective listening and cognitive restructuring techniques. For example, after the death of a sibling, children may unconsciously believe they are responsible or have unresolved feelings. In addition, younger family members may fear they will also die from SIDS. Parents may have guilty feelings about their child's death, even though they know they are not responsible (McClain et al., 2004). Christian cognitive counseling is helpful for addressing any maladaptive belief regarding the situation. Cognitive counseling assists clients in exploring erroneous beliefs and replacing them with healthier cognitions (Newman, 2006).