Finding New Ground—Fostering Post-Traumatic Growth in Children and Adolescents After Parental Death From COVID-19

Gray et al. discuss how to encourage post-traumatic growth in children and adolescents after parental death from COVID-19. Most COVID-19 deaths have occurred in adults, and what limited resources they have allocated toward grief have mostly been directed to them. This strategy overlooks the seismic impact that losing a close caregiver--in some cases one or both parents--to COVID-19 can have on children. With a few exceptions, losing a parent is one of the most life-altering experiences for children and adolescents, especially when the death is unexpected. Studies show that parental death can have profound short- and long-term consequences for children and adolescents. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage communities, now is the time to support children and adolescents who are navigating the loss of parents or close caregivers as they seek to find new ground.