Children's concept of death and sibling death from trauma

Abstract

Factors influencing children's concept of death (their understanding of finality, inevitability, and universality) were examined. A bereaved group of 29 siblings (5 to 12 years of age) of children who died from trauma were interviewed 13 to 17 months after their sibling's death. A comparison group (n = 29) of nonbereaved siblings who had not experienced a sibling's death was matched for age, race, gender, and sociodemographic background. Demographic data, a Piagetian developmental assessment, and a concept of death assessment incorporating vignettes were used to collect data. The experience of sibling death from trauma did not significantly influence acquisition of an accurate concept of death; developmental level (p = 0.0001) and age (p = 0.0003) were significant predictors. Of the 5-year-old subjects in this study, 45.7% had an accurate concept of death, as did > 60% of 6-, 7-, and 8-year-old subjects, 100% of 9-, 11-, and 12-year-old subjects, and 90% of 10-year-old subjects. This reflects an understanding of death at a much younger age than reported by previous researchers.