PTSD among bereaved parents following the violent deaths of their 12‐ to 28‐year‐old children: A longitudinal prospective analysis

This study examined the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among parents bereaved by the violent deaths of their 12- to 28-year-old children. A community-based sample of 171 bereaved mothers and 90 fathers was recruited by a review of Medical Examiner records and followed for 2 years. Four important findings emerged: Both parents' gender and children's causes of death significantly affected the prevalence of PTSD symptoms. Twice as many mothers and fathers whose children were murdered met PTSD caseness (full diagnostic) criteria compared with accident and suicide bereavement. Symptoms in the reexperiencing domain were the most commonly reported. PTSD symptoms persisted over time, with 21% of the mothers and 14% of the fathers who provided longitudinal data still meeting caseness criteria 2 years after the deaths. Parents who met caseness criteria for PTSD, compared with those who did not, were significantly different on multiple study variables. Both theoretical and clinical implications for the findings are discussed.