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The Aftermath of Parental Suicide for Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

D. M. Shepherd  and
B. M. Barraclough
D. M. Shepherd
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Social Administration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO9 5NH
B. M. Barraclough
Affiliation:
MRC Clinical Psychiatry Unit, Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 4PQ
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Summary

Thirty-six children between the ages of 2 and 17 bereaved by the suicide of a parent were followed up after 5 to 7 years. The children's home life before bereavement had been abnormal because of mental illness, and family disruption and pre-suicide stresses were significantly related to present functioning. An incidence of psychological morbidity greater than that of a comparison group was observed. Some children appear to cope with the experience of parental suicide without serious consequences; for a few there was relief from an insupportable situation.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 129 , Issue 3 , September 1976 , pp. 267 - 276
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1976 

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