Children bereaved by parent or sibling death

The expression of grief in children bereaved by the death of a parent or sibling is affected by their understanding of death and their developmental level. Most children are resilient when bereaved, and their adaptation is facilitated by positive and authoritative parenting. The outcome of the one in five children who develop psychiatric disorder is affected by their age, sex, parental mental health, and other family factors. The effectiveness of community interventions with bereaved children is considered. Although the majority of bereaved children do not require professional help, guidelines are given as to when referral to mental health services should be considered. Interventions need to take into account the cultural and religious beliefs of bereaved families.