In print and in its “Well” blog, the New York Times (4/22, D4, Brody) reports, “Cancer is responsible for more widowed fathers than any other cause of death, Dr. [Donald Lee] Rosenstein and Dr. [Justin Michael] Yopp noted in an article in the journal Psycho-Oncology. An estimated 100,000 children are living with widowed fathers in the United States, and the trauma of losing a mother at a young age can seriously disrupt a family’s structure and the children’s development, sometimes with lifelong consequences, they wrote.” The study authors concluded, “There is a pressing need to understand the experiences of these widowed fathers and to develop supportive interventions for them and their children.” The article explained how psychiatrist Rosenstein and psychologist Yopp helped establish a support group for widowed fathers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which has met with resounding success.
Related Links:
— “A Lifeline for Widowed Fathers, “Jane E. Brody, The New York Times, April 22, 2013.