[UK] Supporting the bereaved child in the adult ICU: A narrative review

[UK] Supporting the bereaved child in the adult ICU: A narrative review
Intensive Care Medicine; Annelies Rowland, Carole Boulanger, Louise Dalton; 2/25
Childhood bereavement is a significant issue globally, affecting millions of children each year, with incidence rates significantly increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of an important adult, particularly in the ICU environment, can lead to lasting psychological and behavioural challenges for children. Both families and healthcare professionals (HCPs) often feel unprepared and uncomfortable engaging in honest, supportive conversations with children about bereavement, further complicating children's grief processing. This narrative review examines the pivotal role ICU HCPs can play in facilitating child-centred bereavement support, focusing on promoting honest communication, supportive visitation practices, creating a child-friendly and humanised ICU environment, and encouraging child involvement during end-of-life care. The review also advocates for specialised training to equip ICU staff with the necessary skills to support grieving children and families.