Premium
SIBLING REACTION TO COT DEATH
Author(s) -
Williams Michael L.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1981.tb100931.x
Subject(s) - sadness , feeling , sibling , anger , coping (psychology) , anxiety , psychology , grief , fear of death , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology
Forty‐nine children (from 23 families) were assessed during the nine months after the death of a sibling from cot death (SIDS). The death had a major impact on the surviving siblings of all ages, and commonly resulted in difficulties in coping. Feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety and sadness frequently led to behavioural and physical symptoms; but some children without major symptoms were also felt to have significant psychological and emotional difficulties. Explanations given to many of the children were confusing and inadequate, and often aggravated these feelings. Competent counselling should be offered to all families, including those without surviving children, to assist the family in making a satisfactory adjustment. Mourning should be accepted as a healthy part of living, and is important for further psychological growth in the family.