title: Children facing the death of a parent: the experiences of a parent guidance program at the massachusetts general hospital cancer center.
abstract: Children facing the death of a parent are facing a major upheaval, a loss that will bring them emotional pain and will resonate in different ways at important points throughout their lives. Given the proper supports, most children can expect to adjust well to this enormous change and live happy,productive, and meaningful lives. Although some risk factors for poor adjustment are fixed, the parents themselves often can address others effectively. Clinicians can help the parents of these children facilitate their children's best possible adjustment by emphasizing the principles of facilitating communication, minimizing disruption, preserving family time, and at-tending to their legacy. Clinicians place their children's behaviors within the context of their developmental stage and help the parents find language and an approach that feels comfortable to them. The goal is to help parents re-locate their bearings and realize they can use the parenting skills they al-ready have. Guided by the goal of protecting their children, these parents can find purpose and strength. Reframing their circumstances as a painful and unavoidable challenge, but one that they can actively face, is organizing and fortifying for these families buffeted by loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Swick
authors.forename: Paula K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Rauch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents