Kidman and co-authors estimated the expected number of affected children for each death on Covid-19, also known as the multiplier of parents.
The model indicates that each Covid-19 deaths left 0.078 children between the ages of 0 and 17 left behind, which is an increase of 17.5% to 20.2% in the loss of parents, without Covid- 19.
They point out that although the ability to multiply is small, it translates to a large number of children who have lost parents.
“As of February 2021, 37,300 children aged 0 to 17 have lost at least 1 parent due to Covid-19, three-quarters of whom were teenagers,” the research letter reads.
When the authors consider excess deaths, they estimate that 43,000 children have lost a parent and look at a natural herd immunity strategy, which resulted in 1.5 million deaths, ‘shows the potential effect of inaction: 116,900 children left behind.
The authors note that the estimates depend on modeling, not on surveys or administrative data, and that this does not include the death of non-parental caregivers. The study also does not determine the number of children who lost more than the parent.
Kidman and co-authors suggest that ‘comprehensive national reforms’ are needed to address the effects of the pandemic that will affect children. Children who have lost a parent will also need targeted support to help their grief. Establishing a national coordination for child fraud can also help by identifying children who have lost a parent and monitoring them to identify emerging challenges early. It will also make it easier to connect these children to the local support systems they need, and form the basis of a study on the long-term effects of the loss of a parent during the pandemic.
A loss that is hard to grieve
The loss of a parent can have a lasting effect.
They found that there was an increased incidence of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in those who lost a parent. Depression occurred mainly in the first two years after the loss and in those aged 12 years and younger. They also found increased rates of clinically significant suicidal ideation in children who lost parents.
Child traumatic grief is when the cause of death can be seen as something that is frightening or frightening, making it more difficult for children to come to the grief themselves, as they cannot get through how the death happened.
Gurwitch also said the large number of Covid deaths is making things more challenging, as well as the fact that the pandemic is still ongoing.
‘God forbid, the parents of a child die of a heart attack – it’s not like heart attacks keep happening, but they are not in the news every day, they are not in the shops every day, they are not every day related to making decisions whether I can see my friends or going back to school or to a funeral, ‘Gurwitch said. “Covid has changed that. The normal activities associated with death can not happen, so a child who has now lost someone, regardless of the circumstances, but especially because of Covid, can make it so much more challenging, because all the things I would normally do, I can not, the family can not. ‘
Gurtwich said children need to be able to talk about their loss, find ways to remember the parent who died and receive the support and encouragement to talk openly about their loss. She also said that there are traumatic grief treatments available for children who need them. Many experts recommend consistent speech therapy for mourning. If needed, medications to treat depression or anxiety can also help.
“We need to make sure there is some support for children to do well with loss, with grief, and with death,” she said. “We need to be able to talk about it, we need to be able to help them find ways to remember the person who died. And we need to make sure we keep the lines of communication open.”