SIDS Family Adjustment Scale: A Method of Assessing Family Adjustment to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Abstract

This paper discusses the unique aspects of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the family's resultant grief process. SIDS as a family crisis is explored, and by identifying the psychological factors or tasks pertinent to family adjustment, a SIDS Family Adjustment Scale is proposed which assists in recognizing adaptive and maladaptive grief responses, predicting subsequent adjustment, and facilitating therapeutic interventions.