Bereaved parents: particular difficulties, unique factors, and treatment issues

Little has been written on the topic of parental reactions to the loss of a child, despite the fact that there are unique psychological and sociological factors that make parental bereavement difficult to resolve. This article discusses factors involved in parental bereavement, including the unnaturalness of the child predeceasing the parents, social reactions to the death of a child, the loss of the spouse as a primary support during the grieving process, and grief-related problems with surviving children. Treatment recommendations are also presented.