Why you should read this article:

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To understand how parental death in childhood can negatively affect an individual’s mental health

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To enhance your awareness of the factors and circumstances that may increase parentally bereaved children’s risk of experiencing mental health issues in adulthood

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To consider how the support of parentally bereaved children could be improved in your area of practice

Parental death in childhood is a traumatic event and, as a consequence, bereaved children can be at an increased risk of developing mental health issues in adulthood. This article details an extended literature review that was undertaken to explore the effects of early parental death on bereaved children’s mental health and identifies implications for healthcare practice.

Several electronic databases were searched and eight articles were selected for inclusion in this review. Four themes were identified from the literature: child’s age at parental death; cause of parental death; type of parental death; and cascading circumstances. Increased exposure to other adverse circumstances after a parent’s death can also predispose an individual to psychopathology in adulthood, so such circumstances can serve as indicators of the potential effects on children’s future mental health outcomes.