ABSTRACT
Individual reactions to the death of a family member vary, but generally include some common responses. Children also show many emotional reactions to the death of a family member, and the reactions often depend upon the age of the child. Death is not comprehended fully by children under five years old, but the separation can affect them. Most children after that age, and almost all children by age 10, can comprehend the reality and finality of death at both concrete and abstract levels of thinking. Children are likely to withdraw and become angry or depressed. Physiological symptoms, such as change in appetite, headaches, lethargy, and sleep disturbances, are common. The treatment of grief is considered a family-based rather than individual-based endeavor, but differences in terms of child development and general supportive needs are reflected in the different groups formed for participants.
