Surviving Siblings’ Illnesses, Treatments/Health Services over 13 Months after a Sibling’s Death

Abstract

Two million children experience sibling death annually and have problems that require clinical intervention although few receive such help. Effects on surviving siblings’ mental health has been well documented, however their physical health has not. This study described surviving siblings’ illnesses, treatments/health services at 2, 4, 6, and 13 months post-sibling death. The 132 children (76 girls, 56 boys, M 10.6 years, SD 3.43); 30% Hispanic, 51% Black, 26% White were recruited via hospital ICUs and published obituaries. Using a longitudinal design, parents reported types and numbers of surviving siblings’ illnesses, treatments/health services, and dates post-sibling death. Most of the 207 illnesses and 674 treatments/health services occurred in the first 6 months post-sibling death. While girls had more illnesses (131) than boys (76) and Hispanic children had more illnesses than White or Black children, these differences were not statistically significant. Girls accounted for 66% of the treatments/health services and boys 34%. There was no significant difference in treatments/health service use by gender of the children (F = 1.00, p = .32). Hispanic children had significantly more treatments/health service use than Black children (F = 6.81, p = .002). Sibling death affects surviving siblings’ physical health. Study data document the importance of monitoring the health, treatments and health service use of surviving siblings especially in the first 6 months after a sibling death, regardless of the child’ s gender. On average, Hispanic children had greater health service use, which may warrant greater attention.

Black, White, and Hispanic Children's Health and Function 2-13 Months After Sibling Intensive Care Unit Death

“…The first 6 months after the sibling's death were problematic for surviving children when 85% of elevated anxiety and 91% of "some" depression occurred. A report of children's morbidity and treatments after sibling death found a similar pattern with most of the children's 207 illnesses and 674 treatments/health services occurring in the first 6 months post-sibling death and again in months 11 through 13 37 . Perhaps this pattern reflects the activities in some cultures and religions at the 6-month post-death milestone 23 .…”

“…Perhaps this pattern reflects the activities in some cultures and religions at the 6-month post-death milestone 23 . The 1-year anniversary of the death is often a very sensitive period for families; in some religions and cultures, this anniversary is marked with many activities in the child's memory 36,37 . The first 6 months after sibling death is also when parents' pattern of morbidity has shown the greatest incidence in acute illnesses, hospitalizations, newly diagnosed chronic conditions and medication changes 38,39 , perhaps further sensitizing children's responses.…”

Parent and child perceptions of the child's health at 2, 4, 6, and 13 months after sibling intensive care or emergency department death

“…Both of these situations likely affect the closeness of the parent-child relationship, making parents less reliable reporters of their child's experiences, emotions, symptoms, and behaviors. Brooten et al, 2018 found that parents reported 207 illnesses and 674 treatments or health services for 132 school-aged children and adolescents in the first 6 months after their sibling's death. In the first year after their sibling's death, Brooten et al, (2019) found that school-aged children and adolescents self-reported higher symptoms of anxiety; their parents characterized them as having more anxiety/depression, withdrawal, somatic complaints, and aggressive behaviors, which varied by child age, sex, and time since sibling death.…”

Sibling mortality burden in low-income countries: A descriptive analysis of sibling death in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean

“…A sibling's death can elevate young people's risk of health problems [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and influence their transition to adulthood [11][12][13]. Attesting to how influential siblings are [14,15], a sibling's death can be more consequential for young people than a parent's death, at least in terms of its impact on emotional and behavioral problems [16] and health risks [17].…”