Childhood bereavement: Understanding prevalence and related adversity in the United States.

The death of a parent or sibling during childhood is an adverse experience that increases risk for future behavioral health, academic, and relational problems, as well as earlier mortality. Efforts to estimate childhood bereavement prevalence rates have been hampered by methodological, reporting, and data source limitations. In the absence of national tracking systems in the United States, a quantitative statistical model has been introduced with the aim of estimating the prevalence of this public health issue to aid in needs assessment and service provision.

Pathfinders: Promoting healthy adjustment in bereaved children and families.

Pathfinders is a 10-session program developed in a community setting to creatively address the diverse needs of bereaved children and families, prevent complications of grief and trauma, and promote healthy adaptation. It is an accessible, grief-focused and trauma-informed family systems model that is theory-driven, research-informed, and grounded in practice-based evidence. Pathfinders incorporates principles central to narrative approaches, with a focus on restorative processes for helping children and families stay on track developmentally.