What could be the possible consequences on the mental health of a child who looses his/her mother..?

at 9 years of agethrough prolonged sickness like cancer?What could be the possible consequences on the mental health of a child who looses his/her mother..?this will be all based on her interpretation of the event. for example oprah was abused an according to her became very promiscuous . but that changed an we all know how it turned out. so it can move you forward or cripple you. i think knowledge an reading help quite a bit though. i was abused myself but have educated myself enough that it didnt destroy me.What could be the possible consequences on the mental health of a child who looses his/her mother..?I can't answer for the prolonged sickness, but my mother committed suicide when I was 4 and I'm now 46 so I've had a lot of time to process it.



The loss of a parent at any age is traumatizing and can cause difficulty making attachments later (fearing another devastating loss when they get close to someone).



A lot depends on the other adults around and how they help the child process the loss. Kids this age often feel somewhat responsible even though to an adult that's completely illogical. These kids need to be reassured that the other parent is not going anywhere. If the other parent was married, he's going through his own grief so that can he may not be fully there for the child.



I spent my entire childhood looking for a "mother figure" to replace my mom. If the child can find an adult female, an aunt or family friend, who can be there to talk, share stories or just be an ear, that would be helpful.