Children's Anniversary Reactions to the Death of a Family Member

Abstract

Anniversary reactions–psychological, physical, and/or behavioral responses occurring at a time of special significance related to the death of a family member–have received little attention in children. In adults, anniversary reactions are described as signs of incomplete or pathological mourning. If childhood responses to bereavement become pathological in adulthood, it is important to study early anniversaries and develop strategies for prevention. This article describes an exploratory study that had the goals of identifying and understanding symptomatic behavior that may occur as a part of a child's anniversary reaction to the death of a family member, and differentiating children's normal and predictable anniversary responses from pathological reactions. An extensive review of literature about children's anniversary reactions to the death of a family member, anniversary reactions in adults, the development of the child's concepts of death and of time, and about children's mourning suggests significant gaps in the understanding of this process. Findings from the exploratory study of eighteen children's anniversary reactions are reported and areas for future study are identified.