ABSTRACT
The purpose of the bereavement program was to reduce bereaved parents' symptoms of mental distress and posttraumatic stress, maintain physical health, improve marital and parental role performance, and promote loss accommodation following the accidental, homicidal, or suicidal deaths of a 12 to 28-year-old child. Ninety percent of the study parents were the biological parents of their deceased children; 5% were adoptive parents; and 5% were stepparents. At 12 months postdeath, only 12% of the study parents reported that they had found meaning, but by 60 months postdeath, 57% felt they were able to make some sense of their children's deaths and were trying to go forward with their own lives. Study parents were devastated by their losses, yet most returned to work in about a month after the death even though they perceived problems with cognitive skills. Support groups differ from treatment groups in many ways including lay versus professional leadership and treatment options.
