Bereavement describes the experience of loss that is felt after death. When a child or young person is bereaved, someone they care about, who is important to them, has died.
Grief is a very natural response to someone dying. Grief can feel like a mix of different emotions. It can feel like sadness, guilt, shame, anger, and everyone experiences grief differently. Some people will feel lots of emotions when grieving, which can feel overwhelming. For others, grief can feel like nothing, a numbness.
Children and young peoples’ response to grief can be varied and will be change depending on their age and developmental stage. The level of understanding about what has happened can impact on how the grief is felt, and the loss is experienced. The significance of the young person’s relationship to the deceased person and what coping mechanisms and external supports are around them can have a considerable impact.
Children and young people may find the subsequent change in circumstances or other family members’ or people’s reactions particularly difficult to adjust to. Grief is not a not a mental health problem, per se, but can have a significant impact on health and wellbeing, a difficult and painful experience that can affect anyone at any time.
Expressing grief is healthy, and how people express their grief can be different. Some may need to have support with how they can grieve or express themselves. It may be that they are suppressing their grief or that anger and guilt continues for long time and there is a significant impact on functioning.
Whole Community Approach to supporting Children and Young people with Loss and Bereavement Document can be a helpful document to refer to as it covers in more detail about different models of grief, how grief can impact at different ages and developmental stages, useful strategies and information as well as resources.
Please see Resources and Links for further options for support.
Who to refer:
CAMHS will consider a referral when:
- There is an extreme impact on a child/ young person’s functioning
- Significant difficulties have continued after a period of bereavement support
- Exacerbation of pre-existing mental health.
Who not to refer:
Those going through a grieving process who are managing and adjusting with supports (please see Resources and Links for more detail).
Whole Community Approach to supporting Children and Young people with Loss and Bereavement Document
There are different organisations that can provide specific bereavement support. Some services have specific remits.
Specific Lothian services
Richmond’s Hope: provides support to those aged 4-18 who have experienced a significant bereavement.
Tel: 0131 661 6818
Email: info@richmondshope.org.uk
Bereavement support for children and young people may be available if the person who has died has accessed Hospice support:
- St Columba’s Hospice is contactable via the Access Team who will triage and respond to all referrals, general enquiries or information about clinical services. The Access team is contactable 9am-5pm on 0131 551 7751 (expect bank Holidays).
- Marie Curie Edinburgh Hospice is contactable via their Healthcare line 0131 470 2253: people can contact the Hospice directly about accessing the Patient and Family Support Team.
Rachel House Children’s Hospice, Children’s Hospices across Scotland (CHAS) provides bereavement support and sibling support available to all family members when a child or young person has died who has accessed CHAS services.
The Bereavement and spiritual team can provide support to children and young people who haven’t access CHAS but had a palliative diagnosis, died in hospital due to an illness or accident or is transferred from hospital to hospice/home for end of life care and when a baby is diagnosed with a life-shortening condition during pregnancy.
Contact can be made by Health care professional or by family
Tel Rachel House: 01577 865 777
If you, or some you love, has been affected by cancer you can access support from Maggie’s. No appointment needed for support. Some Maggie’s centres offer support through young people or kids groups as well as having lots of helpful resources on their website.
National organisations and resources
Blue Cross Pet Loss offers support through help line, online support groups and email support as well as resources and information.
Winstons Wish charity supports bereaved children and their families after death of parent or sibling
Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement. Child bereavement UK has a helpline as well as training sessions and resources.
Cruse Bereavement Support aimed at children and young people who are experiencing bereavement.
The Good Grief Trust provides signposting and links to bereavement across the country so that the right support can be found. Lots of resources, helpline, information as well as practical advice.
Widowed and Young provides peer-to-peer emotional and practical support to all young widowed people. There is social meet ups for specific groups including Widowed with children which can be a chance to meet other children/ young people. Specific resources and practical advice as well as members only support pages.
