A mismatch exists between need and service provision in parentally bereaved children

Mental health professionals disagree whether bereaved children should automatically be offered support services. Dowdney et al (p 354) investigated whether offers of support were related to psychiatric disturbance in the children or their surviving parent. In a representative community sample over half the deaths of adults with children were expected, over a third were unexpected, and around a tenth were suicides. Services were more likely to be offered when the death was expected or a parent had committed suicide. Families who were not in touch with medical services before the death were less likely to be offered support after bereavement. Most parents wanted support for their children, particularly when the children showed high levels of disturbance. The authors suggest a role for general practitioners and primary care workers in identifying and referring bereaved families in need of service support.

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Relevant Article

Psychological disturbance and service provision in parentally bereaved children: prospective case-control study

Linda Dowdney, Richard Wilson, B Maughan, M Allerton, P Schofield, and D Skuse
BMJ 1999 319: 354-357. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]