Melo, I. M., Santos, D. B. dos, Oliveira, D. P., Klinger, E. F., & Batista, J. P. (2025). The experience of the breakdown of family bonds in children residing in a shelter institution. Estilos Da Clínica, 30(1), 114-129.
Available on: https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-1624.v30i1p114-129
Abstract: This study aimed to investigate how children residing in a foster care institution express the experience of breaking ties with their family of origin. Case studies were conducted with boys and girls, aged six to ten, residing in the Gurupi-TO Casa Cidadã foster care institution. As research instruments, interviews were conducted with a psychologist, followed by playful interviews with the children using the Drawing-of-Family-and-Story Procedure. Some feelings, behaviors, and symptoms were identified as expressions of loss. Aggression, delinquency, emotional deprivation, learning difficulties at school, and ambivalent feelings toward the family were among the research findings. It was observed that these symptoms reflect the grieving process, and understanding them allows for comprehension of behaviors associated with the processing and repair of loss.