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Parental Bereavement Support Principles — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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HardBereavementParental Bereavement Support PrinciplesSCE Palliative Medicine

Four months after his child’s death, a parent has intense yearning, avoids reminders and is struggling at work but remains engaged with family. Which response best avoids both pathologising and neglect?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: E — Support and follow-up with risk, function and duration assessment

Explanation lettering: E = shown as A · D = shown as B · A = shown as C · C = shown as D · B = shown as E

C is correct. Child loss can produce intense and prolonged grief without a fixed normal timetable. At four months, the clinician should neither apply a diagnosis solely from duration nor dismiss functional impairment. A compassionate assessment covers support, depression, trauma symptoms, substance use, self-neglect and suicide risk, then offers bereavement or primary-care support and follow-up. A uses an early arbitrary threshold. B delays help despite impairment. D turns one feature into a separate diagnosis. E reinforces avoidance. Specialist mental-health care is offered when risk, comorbidity or persistent severe dysfunction warrants it.

Reference: NICE NG142: end-of-life service delivery: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng142/chapter/Recommendations