Supporting Transition to the Bereaved Community After the Death of a Child

Whether a child dies suddenly or after a long battle against a serious illness, the entire family is forced to make an unimaginably painful transition. This new reality may involve an adjustment in one ’s identity, a loss of community, and an entrance into a new community of bereaved families. Studies show that death of a child can have long-term adverse effects on parental and sibling physical and mental health; indeed, parents and siblings have an increased risk of mortality after such a death .1–3 Although parental preparedness around end of life is fraught with complexities,4 the goal of effective bereavement care is to help families heal and process a child ’s death while making the difficult transition to functioning with their grief and still finding joy in life and relationships.5 Yet feelings of abandonment persist, suggesting the health care system needs to do a better job supporting families facing this devastating transition.
Source: PEDIATRICS - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research