Family composition and outcomes following parental bereavement in childhood

The primary aim of this study is to compare the grief and stress related growth of individuals who have siblings and those who do not have siblings in the context of parental loss that occurred during childhood (before the age of 16). Adult participants provided self-report for the Traumatic Grief Inventory, Stress Related Growth Scale, and other related measures. We hypothesized only children who were bereaved during childhood would report higher levels of grief and lower levels of stress related growth compared to those with siblings who were bereaved during childhood. Multivariate analyses focus on grief and stress related growth as primary dependent variables. Predictors in a multiple regression model include sibling status (only child vs. siblings), social-economic status, and current social support. FAMILY COMPOSITION AND OUTCOMES ! 2 Loss of a parent during childhood is not only a disruptive event, but can have farreaching, life-long mental and physiological consequences. Health consequences of childhood bereavement include clinical levels of internalizing and/or externalizing disorder (10-21%) (Worden, 1996). Why might this be? Thompson et al. (1998) found that parental death led to an increase in stressors, which in turn led to increased child distress and ultimately raised the risk of internalizing distress. Additionally, previous research has demonstrated that death of a parent differs from parental divorce. As stated by Mack (2001), “adults who experienced parental divorce report lower levels of parent-child relationship quality, higher levels of self-confidence, and lower levels of depression than adults who experienced parental death during childhood” What might the reason for this difference be? Early research indicates that this might be due to changes in caregiving associated with the loss of a co-parent, or in some cases both parents, rather than direct grief outcomes (Harris, et al., 1986). Alternatively, lack of financial support could be a factor. Jacobs and Bovasso (2009) found the childhood death of the father as a predictor of a child’s adult psychopathology, with no increased risk following the death of the mother. The implications of bereavement do not stop with mental health, as early parental loss is also associated with a global health decline and several chronic and acute conditions in adulthood (Krause, 1998). However, further research shows a silver lining. That is, mental illness affects adults who lost one or both parents only in cases of low quality family relationships. (Luecken, 2000) Thus, social support may be capable of repairing the damage done by experiencing parental death. According to Mireault and Bond (1992), social support can “help to decrease anxiety and depression among adults who have lost a parent in childhood. ” More specifically, sibling support FAMILY COMPOSITION AND OUTCOMES ! 3 has shown to be capable of positively adjusting children in high-conflict homes (Caya & Liem, 1998). This has lead to the question of whether or not siblings can significantly improve grief outcomes. As a first step in this line of research, this author hypothesizes that only-children will report higher levels of grief and lower levels of stress related growth compared to those with siblings. Methods Participants 68 participants were recruited via a screener survey posted on the Amazon Mechanical Turk website. Respondents who met the following criteria qualified for a version of the full survey: Located in the United States, over the age of 18, and lost a parent prior to the age of 16. Subjects who indicated on the screener that they had siblings growing up qualified for the sibling group survey (group A, n = 54) and those who indicated that they did not have siblings growing up qualified for the only-child group survey (group B, n = 14). Subjects were given informed consent prior to the survey and were debriefed following their completion of the survey. Participants were compensated with $3.00 USD for their time. There are no more than minimal risks to the participant, and no known direct benefits, associated with the protocol. That being said, participants may have benefited indirectly via self report tasks. Pennebaker (1997) found evidence to conclude that when individuals write about emotional experiences, significant physical and mental health improvements follow.