In the United States, approximately 1.5 million children lose both or one parent before attaining 15 years ( Tebeka et al., 2016) . The demise of a parent often leads to other losses such as having to live with a different care giver, moving to a new region and switching of schools. The death of a parent adversely affects a child psychologically, emotionally and financially. Researchers have recognized the integral role played by both parents in helping children undergo a holistic development ( Berg et al., 2016) . Loss of a parent often cuts short a child’s relationship with a person of central emotional importance. A child whose parents have died is likely to have a strained relationship with the remaining parent or caregiver. The selected topic is of interest because of the critical role played by parents in a child’s development. The purpose of the essay is to explore the short term and long term psychological, financial and emotional effects of losing a parent by a child.
Tebeka et al., (2016) conducted a study to examine the association of a parent death to a child’s mental health. The article drew its data from the National Epidemiologic Survey. The study involved a sample of 3377 participants who had experienced loss of a parent during childhood or adolescence. According to the study, death is a major traumatic occurrence that jeopardizes a child’s mental health. The child who loses a parent typically experience the demise as an acute and profound crisis. In the short term, the research findings indicate that the bereaved child is susceptible to a wide range of mental health complications such as depression, conduct problems, insecurity feelings and social withdrawal. Additional short term psychological implications include low sense of internal control, anxiety, impaired school performance and vulnerability to their own death. The study asserts that a series of factors make a bereaved child vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes. The surviving parent often suffers from elevated psychological distress as evidenced by high levels of physical distress, restlessness, acute grief and irritability ( Tebeka et al., 2016) . These outcomes are transferred from the surviving parent to a child leading to worsening of the child’s mental health.
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The surviving parent also suffers from depression which is a significant risk factor for development of externalizing and internalizing mental health disorders among adolescents and children. The study noted that the mental health problems suffered by the bereaved children arise from the psychological issues experienced by the surviving parents. According to the study, children who encounter parental loss are exposed to neglectful quality care offered by the surviving parent. Notably, the research indicates that poor quality care is a considerable risk factor for deteriorated psychological outcomes among children. As explained by Tebeka et al., (2016) parental depression and stress which results after death of one parent often leads to negative and disrupted parenting practices. A highly distressed parent is likely to provide neglectful care for the bereaved child. Overall, the participants who had experienced parental loss reported a poorer mental health.
A scientific research study by Berg et al., (2016) investigated the correlation between parental death and depression during childhood. The study included a national cohort born from 1973 to 1982. The research sample size was 862,554 participants. The article relied on a multivariate proportional hazard models to quantify the impact of parental loss. The results of the study indicated that losing a parent in pre-school age is linked to an increased risk of depression. The study further asserts that parental death from natural causes during childhood is connected to a heightened risk of long term ramifications for psychological health. As explained by Berg et al., (2016) the risk of poor psychological outcomes is associated with several factors which occur after losing a parent.
Notably, the death of a parent precipitates a series of stressful experiences such as frequent moves, separation of family members, disruption of social and daily routines as well as reduced contact with the surviving parent. The adverse events increase a child’s risk of developing poor psychological outcomes. The study also notes that the stressful experiences reduce a child’s self-esteem leading to heightened risk of internalizing complications among bereaved children ( Berg et al., 2016) . Loss of a parent can be termed as a distal major event that increases a child’s susceptibility to psychological health problems if the child is not provided adequate support and resources to manage the resultant stress. As articulated by the article, inhibition of emotional expression and restriction of mourning behaviors exposes the bereaved child at an increased risk of developing mental health problems.
Another research article by Stylianou and Zembylas (2018), carried an investigation on the strategies of dealing with grief in the classroom and the children emotional perceptions. The study sampled fifth grade learners whose ages ranged from 10 to 11 years old. The study revealed some of the emotional impact that children experience after the loss of a parent. The study findings indicate that child dealing with prolonged grief due to loss of a parent are at risk of developing long term emotional complications due to their inability to resolve their sense of loss. The emotional problems which affect bereaved children include anxiety, feelings of deep sadness, having trouble carrying out normal routines, isolation from others and withdrawal from social activities. Additional emotional outcomes associated with bereavement among children include rumination over the loss of a parent, numbness or detachment, lack of trust in others and inability to enjoy life. As the study observed, loss of a parent at a young age makes children feel different from their peers. As the article elucidates, children often feel socially isolated, an outcome which hurts the kid’s self-esteem. Notably, reduced self-esteem makes children vulnerable to anxiety and substance abuse in the long run. Bereaved children often experience disrupted foundation in respect to having a secure attachment, safety and sense of security.
Magro (2017) carried a research study to explore teacher’s perceptions on the effects of parental loss among school going children. The study used a qualitative design and employed semi-structured interviews with six teachers who had an experience with a bereaved child. The study also explored the long term impacts associated with loss of parents among children. One of the notable effects observed by majority of interviewed teachers was social isolation and withdrawal coupled with poor academic performance. According to the study, upon accepting the reality of parental demise, children were also observed to display feelings of prolonged sadness particularly around periods such as holidays and birthdays. Magro (2017) explains that since the parent served as a pillar to the stability of a child, anger often occurs as a natural reaction. Some of the children displayed various emotions such as nightmares, boisterous play and irritability. A small segment of the children were also reported to manifest anger towards the surviving family members. As the article notes, some of the long term emotional effects of include inability of children to develop intimate relationships later during adulthood.
A research study by Ongaro (2020) examined the emotional and psychological impacts resulting from grief among children who have experienced parental loss. The study screened a total of 426 children who had experienced loss of at least one parent. The article asserts that some of the screened children seemingly started to act younger than they were. According to research, some children who experience loss temporarily become more infantile, start wetting their beds and make unreasonable demands for food. Other children suffer from guilt after blaming themselves for believing that their parent died because they once wished the person died when they were angry. The study found that children who were having serious problems with parental loss displayed prolonged fear of being alone, started imitating their dead parent and withdrew from their friends company.
Kirwan (2019) u ndertook a study to examine how bereaved children are affected by parental loss. In their research, the authors explored the financial difficulties that children are exposed to following loss of at least one parent. Losing a parent who was the sole bread winner in a family exposes children to financial constraints. As the study asserts, children are forced to shift to a low standard school due to the inability to pay tuition. Loss of both parents may imply complete drop out from school until the child find alternative caregiver to support their education. Parental loss puts children at an increased risk of poverty. Loss of a parent who was supporting his or her family financially is likened to loss of employment. The ripple effect of bereavement on children include disruption of education, shifting from the rented house and inability to afford basic necessities such as food and clothing ( Kirwan, 2019) . The change from the usual often affects a child emotionally and psychologically. The financial effects resulting from parental loss lead to a feeling of prolonged sadness, anxiety and depression.
Conclusion
Parental loss is a stressful event for affected children. The above research has indicated the psychological, emotional and financial impact suffered by bereaved children. The analyzed studies have shown that children who lose at least one parent are at an increased risk of experiencing ill mental health. The death of a parent exposes children to neglectful care either by the surviving parent or by the care giver. The increased pressure from the grieving child to assume the responsibility of the dead parent forces some children to isolate and withdraw from others. Parental absence due to death is often accompanied by low self-esteem, poor psychosocial well-being, sleep disturbances, increased stress and abrupt changes in behavior. Loss of a parent adversely affects a family’s economic status leading to financial constraints. The financial difficulties further increases a child’s likelihood of developing symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
References
Berg, L., Rostila, M., & Hjern, A. (2016). Parental death during childhood and depression in young adults–a national cohort study. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry , 57 (9), 1092-1098.
Kirwan, C. (2019). Social Class and Its Effects on Childhood Bereavement.
Magro, S. (2017). “… And I was left behind”: teachers’ perceptions on the effects of bereavement in school-aged children (Bachelor's thesis, University of Malta).
Ongaro, K. (2020). Prevalence and Correlates of Complicated Grief among Parentally Bereaved Children in Siaya County, Kenya.
Stylianou, P., & Zembylas, M. (2018). Dealing with the concepts of “grief” and “grieving” in the classroom: Children’s perceptions, emotions, and behavior. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying , 77 (3), 240-266.
Tebeka, S., Hoertel, N., Dubertret, C., & Le Strat, Y. (2016). Parental death during childhood and adolescence and its association with mental health. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease , 204 (9), 678-685.
