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The impact of childhood bereavement

The death of someone close is a painful event for people of any age, but for many children and young people the death of a parent, sibling or relative can be particularly traumatic. Young children may be unable to fully understand and articulate their feelings, and many teenagers and young adults might find this the first time they have experienced such frighteningly intense emotions.

As a result, the impact of bereavement at a young age can have significant adverse effects on life chances. Bereavement in childhood has been shown to link to:

• higher levels of anxiety and depression
• increases in youth offending
• lower aspirations for continued learning
• lower academic attainment
• increased risk of school exclusion
• increases in physical health complaints
• increases in risk taking behaviours

The support Crocus Highland can provide

Crocus Highland is the Highland Hospice bereavement support service for children and young people. Crocus aims to:

• help children, young people and families to understand and express their grief
• provide children and young people with an opportunity to meet other bereaved children and young people
• help children, young people and families to find positive ways of remembering the person who died
• educate children, young people, families and the wider community about grief
• help people to talk openly about death and bereavement help restore confidence and self-esteem in bereaved children and young people

Read more about our Crocus service here.

‘Crocus can be a fundamental part of helping children with the grieving process; it helps them to understand death, dying and grief within a safe and secure environment where they are the main focus. Most importantly, Crocus helps children understand it is fine to smile again and to enjoy what they love without feeling guilty.’

Childhood Bereavement Co-ordinator

How you can help bring back smiles to the faces of bereaved children

We are asking you to support the work of Crocus Highland and to help bring smiles back to the faces of bereaved children in the Highlands.

We have planted a field of crocuses which will flower every spring, as a reminder that by helping them understand their grief and come to terms with their loss, Crocus can significantly improve a bereaved child’s life chances.

Please sign up to a regular payment of at least £5.00 per month to show your support for bereaved children and young people in the Highlands. In return, we will plant 1m² of crocus bulbs in your name in the new Torvean Park, Inverness and send you a certificate and Crocus pin badge in recognition of your support. Your monthly donations will then go towards supporting the work of Crocus Highland.

Together we can plant a field of crocuses as a sign of hope and support for bereaved children and young people in the Highlands. Together we can bring smiles back to the faces of children who have lost loved ones.

‘Before coming to Crocus, I felt stressed and uncertain of myself, concerned about the future and hollow. I spoke about what troubled me, learned how to cope with such issues and made friends. Being at Crocus has been therapeutic, helpful, enjoyable and fun. I now feel healed, more able to deal with my mental health, and alive.’

Crocus Service-user

Thank you!