Many of the children and families seen in our offices have faced significant grief and loss over the past few years. It’s been estimated that in the United States one child loses a parent or caregiver for every four COVID-19 related deaths*. Children of racial and ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately impacted by caregiver loss to COVID-19 at a rate up to 4.5 times higher than non-Hispanic White children*. These lost caregivers are those upon whom children depended for emotional, financial, and developmental support and the impacts of these tragic losses will have profound and lasting effects.Every child grieves differently and grief is a normal reaction to the loss of a significant attachment figure. Following a major loss it’s expected for children to show a range of emotions and behaviors and some children may have difficulty accepting the death for some time. Primary care physicians play an important role in supporting children who have had a loss as well as monitoring and assessing for grief complications that may require intervention such as Traumatic Grief and Prolonged Grief Disorder, as described below.
Illinois DocAssist Psychiatric Consultants are here to guide you through screening, diagnosing and treating the mental health concerns of your child, adolescent and perinatal patients. We’re just a phone call away. Call us at 866-986-2778 or schedule a consultation Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. Our services are always free.
Traumatic Grief occurs when a child develops trauma symptoms related to the death of an important person which interfere with their normal grieving process. For example, the child may avoid thinking about or talking about the loved one who has died due to having upsetting images or memories about how the person died. Children experiencing Traumatic Grief may also exhibit physical or emotional arousal including concentration difficulties, trouble sleeping, somatic symptoms and increased vigilance. Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has the strongest evidence for effectiveness in treating Traumatic Grief in children.
Prolonged Grief Disorder was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) this year. For children and adolescents, Prolonged Grief Disorder can occur at least 6 months after the death of a close person. Children may have persistent feelings of emptiness, numbness, loneliness or a sense of a foreshortened future. The symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder impair the daily functioning of the child. For example, academic decline or withdrawal from friends.
O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S
Helping Children Cope with Grief Guide (En Español)- Child Mind
How Children Understand Death & What You Should Say (En Español) – Healthy Children from the American Academy of Pediatrics
Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Parents and Caregivers (En Español)- National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Bereavement resources including free printable materials and children’s E-books (In English and Spanish)- New York Life Foundation
Course on Child and Adolescent Traumatic Stress Reactions to COVID-19 Related Deaths – National Child Traumatic Stress NetworkChildhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Pediatric Providers– National Child Traumatic Stress Network
*S Hillis, et al. Covid-19-Associated Orphanhood and Caregiver Death in the United States. Pediatrics. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-053760 (2021).
