Long-Term Effects of Sibling Death during Adolescence

Abstract

The authors explored the long-term consequences for adolescents of surviving a sibling afflicted with cystic fibrosis. Seventy-five adults were interviewed whose siblings had died from cystic fibrosis in the 1960s and 1970s. Subjects were drawn from case records at Children's Hospital, Boston; Children's Hospital, Oakland; and the University of California, San Francisco. For quantitative analysis, a sample wasdrawn of25 survivors who were under the age of 19 years at the time of the death. Anxiety and depression scales derived from the Hopkins checklist were used, and a 3-point scale developed for guilt. There were no significant relationships between sibling adaptation and number of siblings lost, birth order and gender, family size, or time since death of sibling. The age of the surviving sibling at the time of the death was statistically significant. Those who had been between 13 and 17 years of age at the time of the loss expressed the most symptoms. They were troubled by a global sense of guilt, guilt over their handling of the sibling's illness and death, and survival guilt. They also manifested global anxiety, bodily concerns and feelings of vulnerability, fear of intimacy, excessive concern for others, somatic complaints, and sleeping difficulties.