HealthDay (3/24, Neff) reports a study found that “when a parent dies unexpectedly due to violence, self-harm or addiction, the trauma for a child left behind is immense.” The researchers “looked at decades of data to understand the survival rates of children in the state who lost a biological parent to three specific causes: Homicide, suicide or drug overdose.” They found that “those who lost a parent to one of these three causes were far more likely to die before the age of 18 than the general population.” Overall, the researchers “linked 150 excess childhood deaths in Michigan over the 14-year study period directly to the loss of a parent.” The study was discussed in a JAMA Network Open research letter.
Related Links:
— “Parental Loss Due to Drugs, Violence Raises Child Death Risk by 2,000%,”Deanna Neff, HealthDay, March 24, 2026