Parental Bereavement Over the Life Course: a Theoretical Intersection and Empirical Review

This literature review discusses the role of a family development perspective in the understanding of parental bereavement, & recognition of the issues involved in the losses at different stages (parenting a child, an adolescent or an adult) in relation to 5 factors thought to influence the parental grief experience: the untimeliness of the death, nature & quality of the lost relationship; role the deceased played; characteristics of the death; & the social support system. (111 refs.)