Supporting Infants,Children,and Families After Caregiver Death: Recognizing and Responding to Childhood Grief in Pediatric Primary Care

Abstract

Objective: Most infants, children, and adolescents experience normative changes in their emotional, behavioral, social, and academic functioning following the loss of a parent or other caregiver. However, many child- and family-serving providers report minimal training on identifying and responding to childhood grief, which contributes to limited access to various resources to promote resilience in this population. Methods: This paper provides a topical overview of grief responses in youth organized by developmental levels, as well as resources and supports for pediatric primary care providers. Results: We present recommendations to address childhood grief, organized using the Pediatric Psychosocial Preventative Health Model (PPPHM) framework that categorizes interventions by need/functioning and allows for individualized responses to grief. Conclusions: Expansion in access to trained providers across sectors (e.g., pediatrics, social work, behavioral health care, and schools) is key to providing infants, children, and adolescents with the resources necessary to foster resilience in families following the death of a caregiver.

Implications for Impact Statement

Many child- and family-serving providers receive limited training on how to effectively identify and respond to childhood grief. This topical review discusses common grief responses in children at different stages of development, signals of clinically significant grief responses, and interventions that psychologists and other pediatric primary care providers can leverage to support infants, children, and adolescents following the death of a parent or caregiver.