The Prevalence of Childhood Traumatic Grief—A Comparison of Violent/Sudden and Expected Loss

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Searles McClatchy ◽  
M. Elizabeth Vonk ◽  
Gregory Palardy
Keyword(s):  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Traumatic Grief ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Parentally Bereaved ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Childhood Traumatic Grief ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
Parentally Bereaved Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of childhood traumatic grief (CTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in parentally bereaved children and compare scores between those who had lost a parent to a sudden/violent death and those who had lost a parent to an expected death. Asample of 158 parentally bereaved children ages 7–16 completed the Extended Grief Inventory (EGI); 127 of those also completed the UCLA PTSD Index. A large number of children were experiencing CTG symptoms at moderate and severe levels. There was no significant difference in EGI or UCLA PTSD Index scores between the two types of losses. Findings are discussed in relation to trauma theory, research on parentally bereaved children and implications for practice.

End-of-Life-Related Factors Associated with Posttraumatic Stress and Prolonged Grief in Parentally Bereaved Adolescents

2020 ◽  
pp. 003022282096376
Author(s):  
Megan Weber Falk ◽  
Anette Alvariza ◽  
Ulrika Kreicbergs ◽  
Josefin Sveen
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Prolonged Grief Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Grief ◽  
Parentally Bereaved ◽  
Significant Difference

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) are well-documented in parentally bereaved adolescents. Whether or not the parent’s death is perceived as traumatic may be influenced by several end-of-life-related factors. This study aimed to examine the associations between end-of-life-related factors, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), symptoms of prolonged grief disorder and PGD, and the association between PTSD and PGD. Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman correlation were used to analyze the relationships between end-of-life-related factors, PTSD, and PGD. Regretting one’s decision to be present or not present at the time of death resulted in a significant difference in self-reported scores for PTSD, but not PGD.

An Exploratory Study of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Bereaved Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rene S. McClatchey ◽  
M. Elizabeth Vonk
Keyword(s):  
Family Member ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Traumatic

Purpose: This study reports on the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among a sample ( n = 46) of bereaved children. PTSD symptoms in children who have experienced loss due to an expected death through illness have not been previously studied. Method: An exploratory cross-sectional design was used to compare Impact of Event Scale (IES) scores between two groups of bereaved children. One group experienced the sudden, unexpected death of a family member; the second group experienced the expected death of a family member following protracted illness. Findings: Overall, almost two-thirds of the children were found to be experiencing moderate to severe levels of PTSD related symptoms of intrusion and avoidance as measured by the IES. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the IES scores of the two groups of children. Implications: Findings are discussed in relation to current practice with and research on bereaved children.

Implications of Parental Suicide and Violent Death for Promotion of Resilience of Parentally-Bereaved Children

Death Studies ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana C. Brown ◽  
Irwin N. Sandler ◽  
Jenn-Yun Tein ◽  
Xianchen Liu ◽  
Rachel A. Haine
Keyword(s):  
Violent Death ◽  
Parental Suicide ◽  
Parentally Bereaved ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
Parentally Bereaved Children

scholarly journals Evidence-based practices for parentally bereaved children and their families.

2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Haine ◽  
Tim S. Ayers ◽  
Irwin N. Sandler ◽  
Sharlene A. Wolchik
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Parentally Bereaved ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
Parentally Bereaved Children

Widowed Young Parents: Changing Perspectives on Remarriage and Cohabitation Rates and Their Determinants

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somer L. Bishop ◽  
Albert C. Cain
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Young Parents ◽  
Parentally Bereaved ◽  
Initial Wave ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
Parentally Bereaved Children

This study investigated the incidence and determinants of remarriage and cohabitation among a sample of 35 widowed parents of school-aged children. Data from a U. S. longitudinal study of parentally bereaved children, with surviving parents of mean age 41, revealed—by contrast with prior findings and general lore—that virtually half (47. 5%) of the widows and widowers were either remarried or in substantial cohabitation relationships within five years post-death. Contrary to previous findings, there were no differences in remarriage rates between men and women. Other factors expected to influence the likelihood of remarriages, such as number and age of children, did not; income change pre–post death was a determinant for widows, as was widow's age within this relatively young sample of widows. There was a trend for surviving parents who exhibited fewer symptoms of psychopathology (on the BSI) at the initial Wave I assessment to more likely be remarried or cohabiting at Wave II than those exhibiting higher levels of psychopathology at the initial assessment. Possible interpretations of the divergence between prior reports or assumptions and these data are noted, as is the importance of studying the role of surviving parent remarriage and/or cohabitation(s) intrinsically, and correspondingly, their effects upon parentally bereaved children.

scholarly journals Leaving Home for Marital and Non-Marital Reasons in the Netherlands, 1850-1940 – The Impact of Parental Death and Parental Remarriage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Rosenbaum-Feldbrügge
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Early Marriage ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Leaving Home ◽  
Parentally Bereaved ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Parentally Bereaved Children

Previous research shows that parentally bereaved children in north-western Europe in the past left home earlier than children who lived together with both biological parents. This article analyses the mechanisms behind this phenomenon with a special focus on the routes out of the parental household and the entry of step-parents and step-siblings. The Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN) is exploited which contains detailed infor-mation about household composition and life courses of more than 22,000 female and male adolescent and young adult children born between 1850 and 1922. Event-history analysis is applied and two exclusive routes out of the parental household, for marital and non-marital reasons, are studied in a competing risk design. The results show that parental loss does not increase the risk of early marriage before age 23, but strongly en-hances the chances for leaving home for non-marital reasons, which are mainly work-related. This is especially true in case of maternal loss. No support is found for the hy-pothesis that the entry of a step-parent and step-siblings increases the risk of leaving home compared to living with a single widowed parent. Tensions with step-parents therefore do not suffice to explain why parentally bereaved children left earlier for non-marital reasons. Instead, we argue that children’s exit was in the interest of both the single widowed parent and the bereaved child.

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