Parental divorce and parental death - An integrative systematic review of children’s double bereavement

Abstract

The aim of this review was to identify research on children and adolescents who experience double bereavement, i.e. the experience of loss through parental divorce followed by either parental death or critical illness with imminent death. This knowledge may identify evidence to underpin knowledge and practice for nurses and other health professionals, so they can intervene with these children and adolescents more efficaciously. An integrative systematic review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO. The results show four major themes: Complexity in their experiences of double bereavement; challenges in both custodial and non-custodial parental death; risk of mental health problems, and the need of support and interventions.