Child survivors of parental death from cancer or suicide: depressive and behavioral outcomes

Depressive symptoms, social competence, and behavior problems of prepubescent children bereaved within 18 months of parental death from cancer (57 families, 64 children) or suicide (11 families, 16 children) were compared. Most children reported normative levels of depressive symptoms. Children whose parents died from suicide, compared with those whose parents died from cancer, reported significantly more depressive symptoms, involving negative mood, interpersonal problems, ineffectiveness, and anhedonia. Parental reports of children's competence and behavior were similar to a normative sample of children and did not differ between the children bereaved by parental cancer or suicide. Additional research should focus on other factors, such as family psychopathology, stresses, and impact of stigma, which may influence the course of bereaved children.