Counseling can prove vital for bereaving children

By Staff Writer

Grief counselors met with students at a high school in upstate New York on Monday, following the death of a popular mentor.

According to BuffaloNews.com, 15-year teaching veteran Brian Dugan was struck by a car and killed last week, and the news shocked many of the staff members and students. A team of psychologists, social workers and guidance counselors spoke with troubled teenagers.

"Just being present for them is the most important thing," one of the counselors said, quoted by the news provider.

The American Journal of Psychiatry reports that bereaving children are more likely to develop depression and anxiety. Teenagers trying to deal with a close death, especially in the family, are also at risk for alcohol and substance abuse.

According to the journal, the first nine months of bereavement for children is critical to the long-term effects that a death can cause. In the later stages of depression, it is also common for kids to blame others for their loss.