Bereavement

You said that your child seems sad or irritable after the death of (or separation from) a loved one. When a person tries to deal with the loss of a loved one, this is called bereavement. It is a time of sadness that usually lasts for less than 2 months. Your child seems to be going through bereavement.

During this time you may notice that your child:

• Eats too much or too little
• Has trouble sleeping

Warning signs that things are getting worse:

Your child:

• feels guilty about something s/he did or did not do at the time of the loved one's death
• often has thoughts of death
• says s/he feels worthless
• seems extremely "slowed down" or lacks energy
• keeps to him/herself a lot
• does not want to do things s/he used to find fun
• thinks she actually sees or hears the person who died

If you think things are getting worse talk to your child's doctor, even if you have discussed these problems before.

Adapted in part from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) (1996) and the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (1994) .