Children at the loss of a parent: review of effective communication standards

Abstract

Aims: Death is a taboo in our society, and it is common that parents have questions about how to cope with children this issue. The aims of this paper are: 1) to describe the developmental concept of death and the ways of coping in children and adolescents in case of loss 2) to make a literature review of the main recommendations and guidelines to address the communication process and preparation children in this situation. Method: A systematic literature search has been made in primary and secondary databases (TripDatbase, PsycInfo, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Psicodoc), by combining different keywords. Results: Most of the reviewed material comes from England and USA. In our country the majority has an informative format, and we have no evidence of published regulated research. However it is possible to remove from all the material reviewed a number of general guidelines to facilitate communication with children in case of loss of a loved one. Conclusions: The correct and based on established guidelines communication makes easier the process of grief in children and adolescents.

Keywords

• muerte parental
• comunicación
• duelo
• infancia