Bereaved offspring at risk for PTSD

PITTSBURGH, May 7 (UPI) -- Children of a parent who died suddenly have three times the risk of depression than those with living parents, a U.S. study finds.

The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, also found children whose parents had died, along with their surviving caregivers, were at higher risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, than those in control families.

Study leader Nadine M. Melhem of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and colleagues identified 140 families in which one parent died of suicide, accident or sudden natural death. They were compared with 99 control families in which two parents were living and no first-degree relatives had died within the past two years.

The offspring, ages 7 to 25, underwent interviews and assessments for psychiatric disorders, as well as a review of their parents' psychiatric history.

"Given the increased risk of depression and PTSD, bereaved offspring should be monitored and, if needed, referred and treated for their psychiatric disorder," the study authors said in a statement.

The researchers suggest further studies "to help identify the subset of bereaved families who may require treatment, which can then frame targets for intervention and prevention efforts."