The developmental implications of parental loss during adolescence

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature that relates to the death of a parent and how this experience influences an adolescent. This review will answer the question of how adolescent cognitive, emotional, and social development is affected when a parent dies. After a brief definition of the words adolescence and loss, the focus of this paper will be on the areas of cognitive, emotional, and social development and the effects of grief on development after a parent dies. This information can help mental health professionals and school counselors understand the impact of living through the experience of losing a parent through death during adolescence