Childhood bereavement: The role of the surviving parent and the continuing bond with the deceased.

This study investigated the relationship between the role of the surviving parent in the child's grieving process, the continuing bond with the deceased parent and biopsychosocial functioning and active grief in adulthood. A survey of 135 adults, parentally bereaved in childhood, indicated that the surviving parent's role in facilitating the grieving process promoted a positive continuing bond with the deceased in childhood as well as general functioning in adulthood. The continuing bond with the deceased had a weak association with both better general functioning and relational active grief.