The Impact of Sibling Loss Across the Lifespans of Surviving Siblings
Across centuries and cultures there have typically been siblings within the family unit, allowing for strong bonds to be created between brothers and sisters. Over the lifespan, however, siblings will pass away from various causes, leaving behind surviving siblings and an empty spot within the family. Due to this, the death of a sibling may predict adverse mental and physical health outcomes over the lifespan. Thus, this presentation reviews four research themes that examine the effects of sibling death on surviving siblings across the lifespan. First, parental perceptions regarding the mental states of surviving siblings following a sibling death will be analyzed. Next, the potential evolution of grief in surviving siblings one decade past sibling death will be examined. Moreover, the impact of sibling death on the mental health of surviving siblings will be analyzed. Finally, the risk of disabling conditions and premature mortality associated with siblings surviving sibling death will be examined. These themes tend to appear in surviving siblings across their lifespan, as they must cope with a new reality. With this life change, surviving siblings may experience Complicated Grief, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression. In addition, family dynamics change as there is now a missing part of the unit, and parents may be unable to give their surviving children their full attention, as they are going through their own grieving process. Future directions for research will be discussed, including the need to further examine sibling loss in adulthood and including more diverse population samples.
PSY 499, Capstone
Mary Ann Winter-Messiers
SPS 100
1:30 – 2 PM