PARENTAL LOSS: COMPARING DEATH AND DIVORCE J. WILLIAM WORDEN, PH.D.

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

More school-age children will lose a parent to divorce than lose a parent to death There are important differences in the experience of bereaved children and children of divorce that will influence outcomes Boys have more difficulty after a divorce and less after parental death Self-blame for the loss is higher in divorced children than it is in bereaved children Learning difficulties may be higher for divorced children than for bereaved children Parental loss for children in early adolescence will pose problems for both loss groups Parent-Child conflict significantly affects adjustment on both loss groups

Worden, J. William (1996). Children and death: When a parent dies. NY: Guilford.