Impact of development on children's mourning

A qualitative approach was used to analyze the impact of development on the grief responses of 157 children from 88 families to the death of a parent from cancer.

Children from age 3 to 17 years were divided by developmental characteristics, derived from interview data, into five development-derived age categories.

The responses of children in different categories clarified the impact of development on their distinct expressions of grief, attributes of the parent they mourned, and the parent's tasks in enhancing the reconstitution of the child and the family.

This first attempt to find a way to segregate children into developmentally more homogenous subgroups led to the clarification of patterns of mourning behaviors that are clinically useful. The increased precision of findings, such as the way development affects the child's mourning and the related parental support they need, may help clinicians develop more specific interventions to help children cope with the death of a parent and guide parents in understanding their children's differing responses. The pivotal role of the surviving parent and the tasks required of that parent are important for healthcare professionals to understand and support.