Child Bereavement and the Early Loss of a Parent
Location
Poster #3
Department
Counselor Education
Abstract
One in fourteen children in the US experience the death of a parent by the age of 18. The short-term and long-term effects can be detrimental to the mental and physical health of these individuals. Children experiencing parental loss are prone to displaying symptoms of PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Experiencing this type of loss during middle childhood (6-12) can also lead to social problems, substance abuse, eating disorders, chronic pain, migraines, and increased risk for suicide in adolescence and adulthood. The lack of research on bereaved children of diverse backgrounds raises concerns on equitably addressing these symptoms with all services, caretakers, and clients involved. An online article search using terms “child bereavement”, “race”, “culture”, “diverse”, and “multicultural” provided only a limited number of articles that address bereavement symptoms. This is especially true for the long-term effects that children of diverse backgrounds face. It is crucial for mental health professionals to follow a systemic approach involving various social systems (e.g., family, school) to address various needs of bereaved children holistically. Several protective factors such as a strong collaborative partnership between school and family, maintaining routine and structure, having peer social support, and having an active adult role can help decrease symptoms of bereavement. The cultural background of the bereaved family and resources within the family should be identified, acknowledging emotionally expressive versus less emotionally expressive cultures, family roles, and other cultural factors to aid in the process. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), and Play Therapy are some therapeutic approaches that have been effective with treating bereaved children. This poster presentation aims to demonstrate the potential short-term and long-term symptoms of child bereavement, to highlight the gap of multicultural responsiveness in current literature, and to advocate for the collaboration between systems to fully support the healing process of bereaved children.
Faculty Sponsor
Hulya Ermis-Demirtas
Child Bereavement and the Early Loss of a Parent
Poster #3
One in fourteen children in the US experience the death of a parent by the age of 18. The short-term and long-term effects can be detrimental to the mental and physical health of these individuals. Children experiencing parental loss are prone to displaying symptoms of PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Experiencing this type of loss during middle childhood (6-12) can also lead to social problems, substance abuse, eating disorders, chronic pain, migraines, and increased risk for suicide in adolescence and adulthood. The lack of research on bereaved children of diverse backgrounds raises concerns on equitably addressing these symptoms with all services, caretakers, and clients involved. An online article search using terms “child bereavement”, “race”, “culture”, “diverse”, and “multicultural” provided only a limited number of articles that address bereavement symptoms. This is especially true for the long-term effects that children of diverse backgrounds face. It is crucial for mental health professionals to follow a systemic approach involving various social systems (e.g., family, school) to address various needs of bereaved children holistically. Several protective factors such as a strong collaborative partnership between school and family, maintaining routine and structure, having peer social support, and having an active adult role can help decrease symptoms of bereavement. The cultural background of the bereaved family and resources within the family should be identified, acknowledging emotionally expressive versus less emotionally expressive cultures, family roles, and other cultural factors to aid in the process. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), and Play Therapy are some therapeutic approaches that have been effective with treating bereaved children. This poster presentation aims to demonstrate the potential short-term and long-term symptoms of child bereavement, to highlight the gap of multicultural responsiveness in current literature, and to advocate for the collaboration between systems to fully support the healing process of bereaved children.