Factors influencing the severity of childhood bereavement reactions.

As part of a longitudinal study of 25 preadolescent kibbutz children who lost their fathers during the October War of 1973, child, family, and circumstantial variables were examined in an effort to assess their relative contribution to the intense emotional disturbance exhibited by half of the group. Findings suggest that pretraumatic family and environmental factors are significant determinants of the duration and severity of bereavement.