ScienceDaily (Sep. 7, 2011) — When a parent dies suddenly, most children and teens experience grief that fades over time, but some have increased or prolonged grief reactions that may increase the risk of depression and inability to function normally, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to background information in the article, 4 percent of children and adolescents in Western countries experience a parental death, including 5 percent of U.S. individuals under 18 years old. The authors report that a parent’s death can be one of the most stressful life events for a young person. While research has enhanced the understanding of the nature and course of adult grief, the authors write, “Relatively little is known about the course of grief in children and adolescents.” (The authors define “grief” as “the subjective experience of loss,” and “bereavement” as referring to “status with respect to loss, regardless of subjective experience.”) The investigators examined the grief reactions of children and adolescents after a parent’s sudden death to determine how those reactions affected bereaved participants’ mental well-being and ability to function.
Read in Full:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906183111.htm
Leave a Reply