title: Effect of parental bereavement on health risk behaviors in youth: a 3-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the course of health risk behaviors (HRBs) during a 3-year period after a parent's death in bereaved youth compared with nonbereaved youth (control subjects).
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bereaved families were recruited through coroner records and by advertisement. Control families were recruited using random-digit dialing and by advertisement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred forty parentally bereaved offspring were compared with 183 nonbereaved control offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sudden parental death due to accident, suicide, or sudden disease-related (natural) death.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sum of the total number of HRBs at a clinically significant frequency threshold assessed 9, 21, and 33 months after the parent's death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bereaved group showed a higher number of HRBs over time compared with the nonbereaved group (univariate effect sizes, 0.22-0.52; P < .04), even after taking into account correlates of bereavement and of HRBs, such as youth aggression, as well as antisocial and anxiety disorders of the deceased parent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental bereavement is associated with higher HRBs in youth over time, even after controlling for other covariates associated with bereavement and HRBs. Clinicians should be aware that bereaved youth may be vulnerable to HRBs. Further work is warranted on interventions to attenuate the negative effect of bereavement on HRBs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamdan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazariegos
authors.forename: Nadine M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Melhem
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.forename: Monica Walker
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Brent
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013405:Suicide