The document summarizes research on the negative effects of a parent's sudden death on children. Several studies found that bereaved children are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, and develop long-term psychological disorders like bipolar disorder or PTSD. Children whose parent died by suicide tended to have the highest risk of depression and other mental health problems compared to those whose parent died of natural causes or accidents. The death of a parent is a traumatic experience that leaves children feeling alone, insecure, and shapes their life permanently. Long-term monitoring of bereaved children is recommended to support their mental health.

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How does the sudden death of a parent negatively affect a child?
Romane Marraccini
University of San Francisco

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A death of a parent is one of the most stressful times for someone, especially a
child. The child has to quickly mature and learn to become more independent with the
absence of their parent. Children cope with their loss differently. Depression is one of the
most common psychological problems following this traumatic event. Many different
researchers have studied different experiences feelings that a child encounters. Children
encounter feelings of being alone despite all of their family and friend support. Other
studies have shown how depressed children become or develop psychiatric disorders later
in life. In this literature review, I will describe four articles and that a sudden death of a
parent negatively affects a child.
Researchers Gray, Weller, Fristad and Weller (2011) studied the depressive
symptoms in adolescents and young children two months immediately after their parent’s
death. Their aim was to determine if bereaved children had higher depressive symptoms
and depressive episodes versus a community control group. Risk factors for the
depressive symptoms after the death of a parent was also researched. Through a list of
names from obituaries and funeral homes, researchers gathered 325 children ranging in
ages from five to 18 years old. These children were compared to non-bereaved
community controls and non-bereaved depressed controls. Children in the community
control did not lose a parent. There were 129 children recruited from schools, community
groups and churches. For the depressed control, there were 110 children. All three groups
demographics similarly matched in that a majority of the children were ten10 to eleven
11 years old, Caucasian and male.
The researchers proceeded to measure depression in the participants. First, the
researchers used the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescent Revised to assess

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depression. The participants made provided self-reports through the Children’s
Depression Inventory, which measured the severity of depression in the children. The
Psychiatric Diagnostic Interview collected the parents and the child’s personal psychiatric
history. Researchers analyzed all the data twice. The first analysis included all three
groups of children. The second analysis included only one child from each group. With
all the information that the researchers collected, they created a table.
The children who had lost their parent were more likely to have a depression
episode compared to the community control group, but were surprisingly less likely than
the depressed control group . In all the depressive symptoms shown on the table, Tthe
depressed control group had the highest percentage out of the three groups. The most
common symptoms for the three groups were dysphoria, guilt and sleep changes.
Dysphoria is when a type of person has intense depression seen in people who areand is
discontent about him or herself. About one fourth of the bereaved children had three to
four depressive symptoms following the death of their parent. The loss of a parent causes
depressive symptoms and episodes in their child following their death.
This study was very useful but it was not descriptive in its methods of interview.
It did not state say what the type of questions they asked their participants and it did not
describe any other negative feelings other than depression. For future studies, I would
like to study more about coping methods to help cure the depression that the child faces.
Also, more longitudinal studies should be set up to see how long the depression has lasted
and if it has turned into a more serious psychological problem.
Researchers Melhem, Walker, Moritz, and Brent (2008) studied the psychological
outcomes that children experience after a parent’s death. As described by Gray, Wellers,

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Fristad and Weller (2011), children show symptoms of depression and grief immediately
after their parent’s death. Males are also more likely to have difficulty coping with the
loss. For this study, the researchers addressed four questions for their own findings.
What psychiatric factors in the deceased parent are associated with suicide, accidental
death or natural death? What are the psychological developments of children whose
parent died? Is grief the only outcome of a child after their parent has passed away? Does
parental suicide have a higher risk of psychological development than the loss of a parent
due to an accident or natural death?
To begin the study, researchers gathered 140 families with whose parent was a
deceased parent who was between the ages of 30 to 60 years old at the time of their
death. The child was aged seven to 25 years old when the parent died. The parent died
from suicide, an accident or a sudden natural death. This group was compared to a non-
bereaved control group. There were 99 families and both parents were living. Both
groups were chosen through a local newspaper advertisement. Then the researchers
proceeded with the interviews, which were held at the participant’s homes.
The interviews were conducted approximately no more than nine months after the
parent died. The results varied differently. The children whose parent died due to suicide
were more likely to have bipolar disorder, alcohol, and substance abuse than the non-
bereaved group. In their findings, the researchers also found that children whose parent
died of an accident were more likely to develop personality disorders. As for the child
whose parent died suddenly and naturally, they had about the same likelihood as the
children whose parent died of suicide in developing bipolar disorder.
The researchers also took into account the families history of a depression

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disorder. Many of the child’s parent, or their caregiver, who was still alive also had a
history of depression or anxiety both prior and after the death of the deceased parent.
The caregivers of the children from all three groups had increased posttraumatic stress
disorder compared to the caregivers of the non-bereaved group. Overall, symptoms that
arise in both the parent and child after a parent has suddenly died are PTSD, suicidal
thoughts, depression, and anxiety.
The bereaved groups are at a higher risk to for depression and PTSD after their
parent has died. Every category in the bereaved group had its different outcomes with the
children. The two groups that were the most similar were the parent who died from
suicide or an accident. Those children were more likely to develop a more serious
psychological disorder because of the sudden death of their parent. Whereas the child
whose parent died from natural causes had the chance to spend time with their parent
before they passed away. The researchers provide information on the best solution to
maintain healthy. After this tragic event, the child is to be continuously monitored for
depression by a their caregiver. Given that these children will mourn for the loss of their
parent, the caregiver needs to support their child. As for further research, again the
researchers should conduct longitudinal studies.
Studies have been done on childhood depression following the death of a parent.
Researchers Pfeffer, Karus, Siegel, and Jiang (2000) studied depression, social
competence and behavioral problems in children after their parent suddenly died from
cancer or suicide. They identified young adolescents through records of the local medical
examiner whose parents had passed away about one and a half years before the study.
The adolescents were between the ages of six to 13. The focus of this study was to

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evaluate how children adapt after their parent has died. They gathered 16 children whose
parent died of suicide and 64 children whose parent died from cancer. Then the
researchers continued into their study and began to measure stress and depression in these
children.
A self-report questionnaire was given out to the children to rate their symptoms of
depression. There were five categories: negative mood, interpersonal problems,
incapable, inability to feel happy and negative self-esteem. The children’s behavior
reports were collected through the Child Behavior Checklist. While conducting their tests
on the adolescents, they found both groups to be extremely similar. There was only one
difference was that ; children of suicidal parents were more depressed and angry.
The scores of the children were reported inon a table. Overall, the child whose
parent died of suicide had slightly higher scores in all five categories. Other than
depression, there are additional other psychological distresses that children encounter but
this study did not focus on those. The living parent of the child reported the child’s
behavioral problems. This included how they were doing in school and how they
reactedinteracted in social settings with their friends and family members. There was a
high level of spirit in the children after the loss of their parent. Another finding was that a
child has a higher risk to develop a more serious emotional or behavioral problem
between one to two years after the parent has died. Lifestyle changes, such as the
caregiver remarrying after the parent has died, can trigger a major depression disorder.
The results produced expected conclusions to the researchers. The bereaved
children whose parent died from suicide had higher levels of depression. Each child
grieves death differently and for the child who lost their parent to suicide, traumatic

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thoughts of sadness are high. As for children who lost their parent to cancer, their
depression was at its highest before the parent passed away because of their anticipation
of their parent’s death. Unfortunately, the children had to see their parents’ health
deteriorate before their eyes. Whereas the children whose parent died of suicide did not
have that time to anticipate their parent’s death, therefore they were on a much different
phase of grief.
Researchers Dehlin and Martensson (2008) studied how a death of a parent affects
a young individual in every aspect. The child had to suddenly grow independent and
stress is greatly involved at this time. The researchers focused on the children’s
experiences during this tough time. In the United States, more than two2 million children
younger than 18 years of age have had the misfortune to experience a parental death. The
stage that the parent is terminally ill brings about great stress and is a traumatic
experience. They have to see their parent undergo both physical and psychological
change.
To begin their study the researchers collected their participants from a Western
Swedish hospital where their parent had been hospitalized. The children were 13 to 15
years old when their parent had died. The death of their parent had to have occurred no
more than three years before the interviews were conducted. Five children matched this
exact criterion. The final study group was composed of two girls and three boys, ages 16
to 18.
The interviews were conducted at a hospital. The interviewsIt covered questions
on how the adolescents felt during the length of their parents illness, the time of their
death and afterwards. The questions mainly included their experiences with their parent

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before and after they died. The researchers asked about memories, their relationship with
the parent, their support system and how they see their future. These interviews were
emotionally hard for the participants but they were willing to continue with the study. To
correctly analyze the data from the interviews, the researchers had to look for similar
important statements. Each interview was carefully read and many found related themes
and experiences. The focus of this data analyzing section was to gather information on
differences and similarities during this particular traumatic event.
The results of this study composed itself into three categories. In these categories,
the participants expressed how they felt during the time that their parent passed away.
The first is: the adolescence felt as if their life was under threat. They asked questions
such as why had this happened to them? In this category, they questioned the existence of
God. For some participants they began believing in God. For the rest they did not believe
that God could have done something so terribly unfair. The adolescents felt depressed
having to see their parent suffer through an illness and it changed their life forever. They
described the day that they dreaded seeing their parent dead. It was too difficult to
comprehend that their parent will no longer be there for them. They were in a state of
shock and at the same time that it all happened so quickly.
Other thoughts and feelings that affected these adolescents was their full
understanding of their parent’s death. They could not quite grasp the concept and were
not prepared for what was going to happen next. These adolescents tried to make their
lives return to normal as much as possible. Their everyday routine lives gave them
personal security although it was not the same. They needed ways to create a good
atmosphere at home to increase their well-being. This was the time when they needed

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their closest friends.
Friends were a form of escaping reality because they did not have to think of their
deceased parent. Going to school was also a relief to the participants as a way to relax
from all the sadness. Before the parent had passed away, the participants all made sure to
spend as much time as possible with their ill parent. If they had not spent that time with
their sick parent, they would have felt guilty about their death. They shared happier
memories of having spent those last moments with the parent.
The second category was: the adolescents bear this situation alone. They felt
loneliness even though their family and close friends were there to support them in their
time of loss. To the participants that had siblings, they did not seek out to them because
everyone has their own different method of coping. Ultimately they had felt that no one
could help them. Along with feeling lonely, there was also the feeling of being singled
out. The adolescent was given more attention than any one else. They felt that everyone
around them felt sorry for them and their loss and they did not want that.
The third category is the changed life that the participants faced. This traumatic
event was something they would never forget and will affect them for the rest of their
life. The participants expressed great sadness when they realized that their parent could
not be present for any important events that they will have in their life such as
graduations, marriage and seeing their children grow up. The participants valued their life
and appreciated it more than ever.
This study approached the interview style as comfortablye as possible for the
adolescents. The researchers wanted to know their strong experiences and feelings. The
only error for this study was that the researchers were too specific in finding participants

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and found only five adolescents to represent the whole population. For future testing the
researchers should closely study these three categories and focus more on how stressful
the event was for the adolescent.
To experience the death of a parent is a hurtful time for anyone at any age but
particularly for young children. Without their parent, the adolescent feels depressed, and
anxiety., Pand psychological and behavioral problems are more likely to arise later in life.
They lose their sense of security that their parent provided. I had previously stated future
studies that should be done which . Those include longitudinal studies and coping
methods. They should be supported by their family members and continue to feel united
during this hard time in their life. Being patient and grieving is appropriate for these
young children. No adolescent should go through this event at such a young age but it
helps him or her see the positive in their life. They will never forget this experience.

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References
Dehlin, L. & Martensson, L. (2008). Adolescents’ experiences of a parent’s serious
illness and death. Palliative and Supportive Care, 7, 13-25.
doi:10.1017/S1478951509000042
Gray, L.B., Weller, R., Fristad, M., & Weller, E. (2011). Depression in children and
adolescents two months after the death of a parent. Journal of Affective Disorders.
135, 277–283. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.009
Melhem, N., Walker, M., Moritz, G., Brent, D. (2008). Antecedents and Sequelae of
Sudden Parental Death in Offspring and Surviving Caregivers. Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 162(5),403-410.
Pfeffer, C., Karus, D., Siegel, K., & Jiang, H. (2000). Child Survivors of Parental Death
From Cancer Or Suicide: Depressive and Behavioral Outcomes. Psycho-
Oncology. 9, 1–10. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1611(200001/02)9:1<1::AID-
PON430>3.0.CO;2-5

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