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Ambiguous loss has become a standard theory for understanding the impact of situations where the presence of a family member is subject to ambiguity. A number of studies of ambiguous loss have been made in a range of situations of ambiguity, but almost all have been firmly located within a Western cultural context. Here, ambiguous loss is explored in a different cultural context through a study of the families of persons disappeared during Nepal's decade-long Maoist insurgency. Through the use of qualitative research methods, a sample of families ( n = 160) of those disappeared during the conflict has been studied to understand the impact of disappearance. The results of this study are compared with the expectations of ambiguous loss theory to test its relevance in the Nepali context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity experienced by families during the process of placing their child in out-of-home care was described by parents in 20 families raising a child with severe or profound developmental disabilities. In retrospective interviews, parents discussed their experiences before and after placing their child and how they experienced ambiguous loss as they raised a child that was psychologically absent but physically present. Parents faced ambiguities related to the nature and diagnosis of the disability, support services, and placement. A second situation of ambiguous loss was created when the child was placed. Parents experienced two forms of boundary ambiguity (role and membership ambiguity) and ambivalence regarding placement decisions. Research and clinical implications for working with families are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its introduction 30 years ago, family boundary ambiguity (BA) has been a widely used construct in family stress research and clinical intervention. In this article, we present a comprehensive and interdisciplinary review of published research studies that have used BA as a primary variable. Our review identified 37 studies investigating BA in 11 topical domains of research (e.g., missing-in-action families, death, divorce, stepfamilies, illness and caregiving, clergy families). We identify theoretical advancements pertaining to the construct and the methods used to measure BA in these studies. Drawing from this review, we discuss the current state of BA scholarship and identify steps that need to be taken to advance BA research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contains an overview of three decades of research, theory development, and clinical application about ambiguous loss. Although the work includes both physical and psychological types of ambiguous loss, the focus is the aftermath of 9/11 (September 11, 2001), when the World Trade Center collapsed following terrorist attacks. On the basis of her previous work, the author was asked to design an intervention for families of the missing. She reflects on what she learned from this unexpected test and presents new propositions and hypotheses to stimulate further research and theory that is more inclusive of diversity. She suggests that scholars should focus more on universal family experience. Ambiguous loss is just one example. Encouraging researchers and practitioners to collaborate in theory development, she concludes that research-based theory is essential to inform interventions in unexpected times of terror, and in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]