The long-term effects of early parent death: A review

A review of the literature indicates some evidence for an association between early death of the mother and severe forms of depression in adulthood. The relationship of early parent death with later alcoholism, other forms of depression, and milder effects within the general population also is suggested. A number of factors that may mitigate the long-term effects of the loss are discussed. The experience of early parent death is conceptualized as an exceptionally visible representation of the capacity of the child to cope adaptively with developmental crisis.