Children's reactions in the early months after the death of a parent.

The reactions of a nonclinical group of 125 dependent children aged 6-17 years were examined within four months of the death of a parent. Focus was on normative behavior in the domains of the children's reactions to the death itself, their affective experience, their efforts at remaining connected to the deceased, their social network and support system, and changes in their families resulting from the death.