MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Children who lose a parent develop mental health problems at twice the rate of kids with an intact family, a new study reports.

Losing a parent to death, imprisonment or separation all dramatically increase risk of mental health problems among kids and teens, researchers reported recently in the Australian Journal of Psychology.

Overall, about 22% of children who lose a parent for any reason develop a diagnosable disorder, compared to 11% of children with both parents, the study found.

Mental disorders were highest among kids whose biological parent died. More than 1 in 4 suffered from depression, anxiety, ADHD or other problems.

Likewise, 1 in 5 children who lost a parent to separation or divorce had a mental disorder, researchers found.

“Parental loss is more common than many people realize and it has a clear and measurable impact on children’s mental health,” lead researcher Lauren Breen said in a news release. She is a professor of population health at Curtin University in Australia,

For the new study, researchers analyzed national survey data for more than 6,300 Australian households with children ages 4 to 17. Of these children, nearly 38% were not living with both biological parents.

Separation and divorce were the most common causes of parental loss, followed by death of a parent and having a parent in custody.

About 29% of children who lost a parent to death developed a mental health problem, followed by 22% of those with a parent in custody and 20% of those whose parents separated.

The rate of mental health disorder was even higher in 4- to 11-year-olds who lost a parent to death, topping 38%.

“For younger children in particular, the effects can be especially severe,” Breen said. “This study reinforces longstanding evidence that parental bereavement is one of the most distressing experiences in childhood and is linked to a higher risk of mental health challenges.”

Losing a parent amplifies the pains and problems that growing children already face, said researcher Shelly Skinner, founder and CEO of Lionheart Camp for Kids in western Australia, which supports grieving children and families.

“Never before has navigating the outside world as a child or teen been more complex; when the complexities and tragedies of the outside world crash into your inner world, children are vulnerable to feelings of anxiety, risk-taking behavior and mental and physical illness,” she said in a news release.

“Many kids who experience the death of a family member will grow up to be happy and healthy and have normal and productive lives,” Skinner said. “At the same time, each member of the family needs tailored help as they support a child through bereavement.”

What’s worse, many families struggle to get grieving children the help they need, researchers said.

“Grieving children and their families often face barriers like long waitlists, high costs and not knowing where to go for help,” Breen said. “Our findings highlight the need for better identification and support of children experiencing parental loss, including ensuring accessible and evidence-informed mental health services and improving how systems respond to grief.

“Understanding how common parental loss is is the first step; now we need to make sure children who are going through these experiences are recognized early and connected to the support they need, such as psychological therapies, family‑based support programs and better pathways for referral,” Breen concluded.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on grief and loss in childhood.

SOURCE: Curtin University, news release, Aug. 19, 2026

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