Children who have lost a parent run a higher risk to start taking antidepressants. Photo: David Tiberio / Mostphotos

The researchers used register data of individuals at ages 7–24 years born in Sweden in 1992–1999. They made matched comparisons between children who had lost a parent and those who had not. Their analysis shows that those who have lost a parent run a higher risk to start taking antidepressants. Children who have lost their father run a 48 per cent higher risk of starting taking antidepressants and among those who have lost their mother the risk is 33 per cent higher.

“The risk is not the same over time. It is highest in the first year after the parent's death. Then it decreases in the next two to three years, but remains elevated for up to 12 years,” says Can Liu, researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University. Liu is the first author of the study.

These results can be useful for people working with bereaved families

The surviving parent´s mental health important for the child

The results also suggest that the surviving parent´s mental health plays an important role for the child who experienced the loss. According to Liu, these results can be useful for people working with bereaved families, for example social and health care workers.

Can Liu. Photo: Stockholm University

“It's important to identify and address the things that can make things harder for bereaved families such as existing mental health problems of the surviving parents. By helping the surviving parents on dealing with their own mental health problems, improving communication between the parent and child and promoting positive parenting, we may help reduce the psychological impact on the child who lost a parent,” she says.

Supports results from previous study

This study supports the results from a previous study done in Denmark that found a high risk of using antidepressants within two years after a parent's death, according to Liu.

The article Parental death and initiation of antidepressant treatment in surviving children and youth: a national register-based matched cohort study is published in the research journal eClinicalMedicine.

The study was carried out as part of the project A life course perspective on bereavement in childhood and health problems in adulthood. A project managed by Professor Mikael Rostila at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University.

New project on bereavement during Corona pandemic

In a new project, Mental health consequences following the loss of a family member during the Corona pandemic: A multi-methods approach,Liu and her research colleagues are studying how the loss of a loved one during the pandemic affects young people and people in other age groups. This project is also managed by Professor Rostila.

“We want to understand the impact of bereavement and find ways to support families going through such a difficult time,” Liu says.

Håkan Soold