Counseling Bereaved Children and Adolescents

According to Harrison and Harrington (2001), 78% of children ages 11–16 years have experienced the death of a parent, close relative, or friend. Children and teens who experience the death of a parent or other loved one are more likely to exhibit depression and anxiety, engage in substance abuse, and develop conduct disorder symptoms compared to non-bereaved peers (Kaplow, Saunders, Angold, & Costello, 2010). Notably, symptoms of depression and drug use may not be present until almost two years after a parental death (Brent, Melhem, Donohoe, & Walker, 2009). Additionally, those whose parents died by suicide were three times more likely to die by suicide and were at increased risk of suicidal attempts, depression, and other mental health issues (Wilcox et al., 2010). These maladaptive behaviors are more likely to manifest with bereaved children who experience a loss that is stigmatized such as death caused by overdose or suicide (Brent et al., 2009). Despite the stated risk for children and adolescents to develop a range of severe mental health concerns following parental loss, a recent systematic review supported the effectiveness of support programs after parental loss, suggesting that brief interventions can indeed mitigate the development of such problems in children and adolescents (Bergman, Axberg, & Hanson, 2017).