Parental death increased the incidence of depression in offspring early in the course of bereavement, according to a recent study. Therefore, early identification and treatment of depression in bereaved youths and augmentation of family resilience may protect against later sequelae of functional impairment. Youths (n=216) who lost a parent to suicide, accident, or sudden natural death, and non-bereaved youths (n=172) were followed periodically for up to 7 years. The incidence and prevalence of disorder and of functional impairment, as well as pathways to impairment, were assessed using Cox and mixed-effects logistic regression and structural equation modeling. Researchers found:

• Prior to parental death, bereaved youths had higher rates of psychiatric disorder, parental psychiatric disorder, and maltreatment.
• Even after adjustment for pre-death risk factors, bereavement was associated with an increased incidence of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and functional impairment.
• The peak incidence of depression was in the first 2 years post-bereavement, with incident depression occurring mainly in those who lost a parent at age ≤12.
• Youths bereaved by all 3 causes of death showed higher rates of impairment at all time points.