Priority 26 from the Palliative and end of life care PSP

UNCERTAINTY:  What are the best ways to support children and young people when someone close to them is dying or has died?  This includes communicating with them about the diagnosis and dying process, enabling them to talk about their experience and providing bereavement support.    (JLA PSP Priority 26)
Overall ranking 26
JLA question ID 0026/26
Evidence

Rosner R, Kruse J, Hagl M. A meta?analysis of interventions for bereaved children and adolescents. Death Studies.2010;34(2):99?136. 2 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07481180903492422#.VS-EXfzF__

E  McDaid C, Trowman R, Golder S, et al. Interventions for people bereaved through suicide: systematic review. Br J Psychiatry 2008;193:438?43 http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/193/6/438  

Health Research Classification System category  Generic
Extra information provided by this PSP
Original uncertainty examples And to what extent does frequent respite support for families alleviate these problems? This could benefit from much better understanding, especially with lifespans of life-limited children increasing, as the strain on families can encompass much or all of the sibling's childhood. The extent to which they do, or need to, access mental health services could point towards the preventative value and value-for-money of regular lifelong respite.  ~  I would like to know what advice is given to families with young teenagers who have a parent that is terminally ill and the youngster/s needs support from an outside source. I know the advice my late husband and I were given by a professional. I'm curious to know what is advice is given these days.  ~  Why can children who have lost a parent only receive 5 sessions with a bereavement councillor?
Submitted by Professionals x 4  ~  Bereaved Carers x 2  ~  Patients x 1     
Outcomes to be measured Change in symptoms; change in management of symptoms; Patient Satisfaction; health related quality of life; health related cost, good death
PSP information
PSP unique ID 0026
PSP name Palliative and end of life care
Total number of uncertainties identified by this PSP. 83  (To see a full list of all uncertainties identified, please see the detailed spreadsheet held on the JLA website)
Date of priority setting workshop 21 November 2014