Bereaved Parents’ Outcomes 4 to 60 Months After Their Children’s Deaths by Accident, Suicide, or Homicide: a Comparative Study Demonstrating Differences

In this article, the authors revisit the question of whether one violent cause of death of a child influences parents’ bereavement outcomes more than another. 173 parents were observed 4, 12, 24, & 60 months after their children’s death by accident, suicide or homicide. Nearly 70% of the parents reported that it took either 3 or 4 years to put their children’s death into perspective & continue with their own lives; however, the cause of death did not significantly influence parents’ sense of timing in this regard. Clinical & research implications of the findings are discussed. (55 refs)