The death of a child, at any age, is one of the most – if not the most – stressful life events a person can go through. Bereavement is associated with severe health, social, and economic consequences – but sparse legal and social supports exist to protect grieving parents.
The authors of the newest NAM Perspectives commentary state that bereavement care in the United States is broken, and call for evidence-based research into the prevalence and outcomes of bereavement and how to best mitigate the adverse short- and long-term outcomes of coping with bereavement. The authors believe there is much that can be done to address this crisis, and that it must be approached with sensitivity and attention as we care for those who have experienced the profound loss of a child. Read more here.