Early parental loss, grief counseling and maladaptive coping in adulthood

Abstract

The stress of early parental loss (loss) may increase the risk of depression, anxiety and health-related problems in adulthood. However, few studies have investigated coping in adults who have experiencing loss and utilized grief counseling (counseling). This study compares adult maladaptive coping strategies according to loss and counseling. We identified persons above 18 years, who had lost a parent before age 30, and who had received counseling at one of four major counseling centers in Denmark. Two registry-based comparisons groups were identified: bereaved adults who had not received counseling and non-bereaved adults. All participants (N=2426) completed a questionnaire including coping measured by the Brief COPE. Multivariate regression analyses adjusted for gender, age at loss, gender of parent lost, education and perceived family support were performed. Bereaved adults reported significantly higher substance use, behavioral disengagement and emotional eating compared to non-bereaved adults. Counseling participants reported significantly higher substance use and self-blame than non-participants. This study suggests higher maladaptive coping in adults who have experienced early loss, even after counseling, providing ground for further research.