Editorial: In the Service of Our Children.

The impact of early parental loss is a well-known and well-documented risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes.1 Approximately 5% of children will lose a parent before the age of 18 years.2 Depression, acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioral disorders (including delinquency), substance abuse, and increased rates of suicide have all been correlated with parental deaths during childhood.1,3 Although the greatest risk occurs during the first 2 years following the loss, the risks continue. Decreased school achievement, and higher rates of divorce and unemployment, have all been correlated with parental loss up to 34 years later.1,4.