Parental Death and the Adjustment of School-Age Children
Abstract
Findings on the emotional impact of parental death for dependent children have not been consistent due to serious methodological limitations. The Child Bereavement Study investigated a community-based sample of parentally bereaved children and compared their responses to those from matched non-bereaved controls. Children and their surviving parent were assessed four months, one year, and two years after the death using standardized instrumentation. Most of the difference between the two groups was not obvious until two years after the death. The bereaved showed higher levels of social withdrawal, anxiety, and social problems as well as lower self-esteem and self-efficacy. Although most bereaved children do not show signs of serious emotional/behavioral disturbance, there is a significantly large group of bereaved children who show serious problems at one year (19%) and at two years (21%).
Categories: Psychology Sociology
Other articles
Psychosocial Effects of Traumatic Experiences in Children Living In Orphanages: A Selected Case of Kings Kid Village and Our Home Child Care Center in Nairobi County, Kenya
This study explored the psychosocial effects of traumatic experiences in children living in two orphanages: Kings Kid Village…
Read moreThe capacity of the extended family safety net for orphans in Africa
This paper reviews published studies on orphans and describes indicators by which weakened or saturated extended family…
Read moreThe role of culture in psychosocial development of orphans and vulnerable children
Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) remain a pressing challenge for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa due to HIV/AIDS.…
Read morePrevalence and predictors of depression among orphans in Dakahlia’s orphanages, Egypt
Background: Children entering foster care have a higher prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms than children…
Read more