What psychological feature often accompanies bereavement following a child’s death?

What psychological feature often accompanies bereavement following a child’s death?

• A. Severe depression
• B. Injury of a child
• C. Anxiety disorders
• D. Substance abuse

Answer: (A)

Severe depression is a common psychological feature that often accompanies bereavement following a child's death. The loss of a child is an extraordinarily traumatic and painful experience, and it can lead to intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair, which are hallmark symptoms of severe depression. This condition can manifest in various ways, including persistent feelings of emptiness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and difficulties in functioning in daily life. While other options, like anxiety disorders or substance abuse, can also occur in the context of grief, the predominant and immediate psychological response observed in many individuals facing the loss of a child tends to gravitate toward severe depressive symptoms. The profound nature of such a loss understandably leads many to struggle with adjusting to the absence and the overwhelming feelings of grief that it brings.

Severe depression is a common psychological feature that often accompanies bereavement following a child's death. The loss of a child is an extraordinarily traumatic and painful experience, and it can lead to intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair, which are hallmark symptoms of severe depression. This condition can manifest in various ways, including persistent feelings of emptiness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and difficulties in functioning in daily life.

While other options, like anxiety disorders or substance abuse, can also occur in the context of grief, the predominant and immediate psychological response observed in many individuals facing the loss of a child tends to gravitate toward severe depressive symptoms. The profound nature of such a loss understandably leads many to struggle with adjusting to the absence and the overwhelming feelings of grief that it brings.