Losing grandmother has significant impact on mental health of adolescents, US-based study reveals and more

Losing a loved one is emotionally draining for every individual, no matter what stage of life they are in, but the impact of this loss can be more unlikely on children. A new study conducted on the subject revealed that the loss of a grandmother, in particular, can have a significant impact on a child’s mind and lead to depression in her. The study was recently published in the journal SSM – Mental Health.

The study revealed that male adolescents who lost their grandmother experienced a significant increase in their symptoms of depression during the following seven years. It also showed that the mothers of these children were more likely to experience depression.

According to study author Dr. Ashton Verdery, a professor of sociology at Penn State, the findings suggest that identifying risk factors for depression may help prevent teens from experiencing additional detrimental events. These include school dropout, substance abuse, and involvement in the criminal justice system. Dr. Verdery has been how loss during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s health.

Through the study, the researchers were able to identify the various factors that could affect the development and severity of depression among adolescents who lost their grandmother during adolescence and found that it affected those who live with single parents, have low income or are from Black and Hispanic populations where they co-reside with grandparents and other forms of frequent interactions with grandparents.

The research team, along with co-authors Michelle Livings and Emily Smith-Greenaway of the University of Southern California and Rachel Margolis of the University of Western Ontario, previously found that more than 4 million children and adolescents in the US have grandparents who have died of COVID-19, a notable increase on top of the 10 million to 12 million who typically lose their grandparents annually.

“Not only have young people faced school closures, social distancing and subsequent isolation since the pandemic began, but millions are also grieving for a grandparent,” Livings said.

The study, which was conducted on 4,897 children and their parents, analyzed data collected at various checkpoints throughout their childhood and adolescence. The researchers were able to identify the various factors that could affect the development and severity of depression among adolescents who lost their grandmother during adolescence. The data included information on the individuals’ mothers, their genders, and the death of a relative.

Although the exact causes of depression among teens are still unknown, Verdery noted that more research is needed to understand why grandma’s death affects teens in a way that grandpa’s death doesn’t, and whether there are other ways that his death affects them. . “This could be especially true for boys, as grandparents can sometimes act as male role models, especially in low-income communities beset by high incarceration rates and related challenges,” the study author added.

According to Smith-Greenaway, gender socialization may explain why boys are more vulnerable to depression. They may feel pressured to suppress their feelings to avoid appearing weak. On the other hand, adolescent girls tend to have more social support and are more likely to express their feelings in an expressive way. So future research must uncover the precise reasons why adolescent boys are at particular risk, Verdery said.