Title: What the Loss of a Child Does to Parents, Psychologically and Biologically | Fatherly
Headings: What the Loss of a Child Does to Parents, Psychologically and Biologically
What the Loss of a Child Does to Parents, Psychologically and Biologically
Though parents mourning the death of a child experience classic psychological, biological, and social grief responses, there are unique challenges.
Biological Impacts: How the Death of a Child Changes a Parent’s Body
Psychological Impacts: How the Trauma of Child Loss Harms the Psyche
Predictors: How Age of the Child and Other Factors Impact the Trauma
Social Impacts: How the Loss of a Child Strengthens (Or Ruins) Families
Coping: How to Provide and Seek Comfort for Grieving Parents

Content: As a reaction to emotional or physical stress, the body’s natural response is to release catecholamines, also known as stress hormones, that temporarily stun the heart muscle.” Chronic stress can even impact how the brain functions, as long-term exposure to the stress hormone cortisol has been linked to the death of brain cells. And in a cruel twist of neurobiology, the regions of the brain responsible for grief processing, such as the posterior cingulate cortex, frontal cortex, and cerebellum, are also involved in regulating appetite and sleep. This may explain why grieving parents develop eating and sleeping disorders in the aftermath of the loss. “There are many, many studies that have looked at the ongoing health effects of high levels of chronic stress,” Saltz says. “ And when you look at lists of stressful life events, this is at the top.” ADVERTISEMENT
Psychological Impacts: How the Trauma of Child Loss Harms the Psyche
The impacts of this tragedy are not solely biological. Interestingly, however, very few studies have delved into the nightmare of the death of a child. Most of the research on the psychological response to death focuses on the loss of a spouse or a parent.