Grandparent Health & Functioning after a Grandchild ’ s Death

Approximately 160,000 grandparents experience the death of a grandchild each year; this represents a permanent, irrevocable loss for the grandparent resulting in physical and emotional responses. Grandparents who lose a grandchild experience increased alcohol and drug use, thoughts of suicide, and pain for their adult child who is also grieving. Supportive resources available to grieving grandparents, the effects of the grandchild’s death on the grandparent-parent relationship and the influence of race/ethnicity on grandparent grieving are discussed. Despite about 40,000 child and infant deaths each year, knowledge about grandparent health and functioning following the death of a grandchild is limited. In 2002, 40,000 infants and children – 28,034 infants (less than 1 year old), 4,858 children from 1–4 years old, and 7,150 children from 5–14 years of age – died in the United States (National Center for Health Statistics, 2005). Leading causes of death were congenital malformations, prematurity and its complications, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) for infants; unintentional injuries and malformations for children from 1–4 years old; and unintentional injuries and cancer for children 5–14 years old (National Center for Health Statistics, 2005). Grandparents describe the devastation of a grandchild’s death as: “like a part of you has been not just lost, but torn out of you...” (Fry, 1997). The limited research to date in this area indicates grandparents experience physical symptoms, anxiety, bitterness, exhaustion, depression, helplessness, and disbelief that the grandchild died before the grandparent, increased alcohol and drug use, thoughts of suicide, and pain for their child (grandchild’s parent) (DeFrain, Jakuls, & Mendoza, 1991–92; Ponzetti & Johnson, 1991). And while the deaths of 40,000 infants and children annually in the United States (National Center for Health Statistics, 2005) affect a minimum of two parents (not including step-parents), they affect a minimum of four grandparents (not including step-grandparents) at a stage in life when they are more vulnerable to health problems. Despite the changing racial/ethnic mix of the US population, even less is known about this phenomenon in diverse cultural groups. Such data are important in understanding health and functional effects for grandparents and are basic to identifying those at greatest risk for adverse outcomes and developing interventions to minimize health problems and maximize functioning. The purpose of this manuscript is to Contact Information: JoAnne M. Youngblut, PhD, RN, FAAN, Florida International University, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St., HLS II, Rm 485, Miami, FL 33199, Office: 305-348-7749, FAX: 305-348-7765, youngblu@fiu.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author Manuscript J Pediatr Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 October 1. Published in final edited form as: J Pediatr Nurs. 2010 October ; 25(5): 352–359. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2009.02.021. N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript describe the impact of a grandchild’s death on grandparent grief, physical and mental health, and functioning after a grandchild’s death. The increased life expectancy of Americans during the 20th century especially following World War II has enabled more people to experience the role of grandparent and to spend more time in grandparenting than previous generations (Eliopoulos, 2005). The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Grandparent Study 2002 reported that the average age of a first time grandparent was 48. In addition, more than 90 million Americans one in three individuals was a grandparent (AARP, 2002). Being a grandparent is important to many adults, providing them with social and emotional rewards and ensuring the future of their families. A growing number of grandparents provide full-time custodial care for their grandchildren because of absence of the grandchild’s parent(s), and many view this responsibility as stressful. However, in the few studies of grandparent bereavement of a grandchild, the grandparent’s caregiving status to the deceased grandchild is not considered. Studies have found negative effects on grandparents related to loss of contact with their grandchild through divorce and geographic separation. Death of the grandchild represents a permanent, irrevocable loss of contact for the grandparent, and up to 160,000 grandparents experience this loss each year.