“It becomes a safe space”: a narrative evaluation of a Swedish mobile app for bereaved adolescents

Abstract

Many bereaved adolescents struggle to comprehend their loss and adjust to life without the deceased. This study used narrative methods to evaluate the meaningfulness and impact of Alba—Youth in Grief, a co-developed self-management mobile app intended to support young grievers. Using the narratives of change method, developed to situate perceived intervention effects within biographical frameworks, we explored ten adolescents’ experiences of parental or sibling loss, their engagement with Alba, and changes attributed to its use. Before using Alba, participants described difficulties managing grief, strained communication, and feeling different. Participants varied in which app features they experienced as meaningful, but many described Alba as fostering safety, emotional control, self-reflection, and grief normalisation. Perceived changes associated with app use also varied between participants, and included improved grief management, communication, and self-compassion. Overall, Alba illustrates how digital psychosocial resources may support bereaved adolescents’ varied grief-related needs where bereavement support is scarce.