TONIGHT, LOSING A PARENT TO DRUGS OR GUN VIOLENCE WHILE YOU'RE STILL A CHILD. IT'S A TROUBLING REALITY FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF KIDS IN THE UNITED STATES. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS DOCTOR ERIKA LEE, A PSYCHOLOGIST AT BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. NICE TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. HEY, DOCTOR LEE, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. SO IT'S A NEW NATIONAL STUDY COMPARING DATA AND A RELATIVELY LARGE PERIOD OF TIME FROM 1999 TO 2020. SO WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS STAND OUT TO YOU? WHAT DO THEY SHOW YOU? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. IT'S A VERY SOBERING STUDY. AND THE NUMBERS ARE QUITE STRIKING. SO AS YOU WERE SAYING, THE STUDY LOOKED AT YOUTH IN THE US UNDER THE AGE OF 18 WHO LOST A PARENT EITHER TO SUBSTANCES OR FIREARMS, AND THEY ACTUALLY FOUND THAT THREE TIMES AS MANY CHILDREN LOST A PARENT IN ONE OF THOSE WAYS FROM 1999 TO 2020. AND SO REALLY ANOTHER THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME IS THAT THE AVERAGE AGE OF THOSE PARENTS WAS QUITE YOUNG, JUST 42, AND DADS WERE ACTUALLY THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE THAN MOTHERS DOCTOR. WE'RE ALSO LEARNING THAT CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY BLACK CHILDREN, ARE MORE LIKELY TO LOSE THEIR DAD TO DRUGS OR GUNS THAN THEIR MOM. WHY IS THAT AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION TO TO SAY? YEAH. SO THE STUDY ACTUALLY FOUND THAT MOST OF THE PARENTAL DEATHS IN THE STUDY WERE AMONG MEN IN WHITE PARENTS, BUT PROPORTIONAL TO THEIR MAKEUP. IN THE US, BLACK CHILDREN WERE ACTUALLY THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO LOSE A PARENT, ESPECIALLY A FATHER, THAN OTHER KIDS. AND WHAT THAT'S TELLING US IS THIS IS A REALLY VULNERABLE POPULATION THAT WE NEED TO BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO, RIGHT? THERE ARE MANY CHILDREN ED FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT LOSS DURING THESE VERY CRITICAL PERIODS OF THEIR LIVES, AND WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM. AND DOCTOR LEE, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT DID THESE KIDS ACTUALLY NEED IN ORDER TO ADAPT? AND YOU KNOW WHAT? EVEN THRIVE. YEAH. SO FOR KIDS WHO ARE EXPERIENCED SUCH A SUCH A SIGNIFICANT LOSS, I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT PARENTAL FIGURES, PRIMARY CAREGIVERS ARE SOME OF THE MOST CRUCIAL PEOPLE IN CHILDREN'S LIVES ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNTIL THEY'RE ADULTS, THEY NEED REALLY CAREFUL ATTENTION AND MONITORING. WE REALLY NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW ARE THEY RESPONDING? ARE THEY GETTING THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED? ARE THEY EXPERIENCING SIGNS OF PROLONGED GRIEF? ARE WE NOTICING THAT THERE'S CHANGES IN HOW THEY'RE DOING AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, OR WITH THEIR FRIENDS? AND IF SO, HOW DO WE GET THEM THE SERVICES THEY NEED? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR KIDS WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, ARE THEY GETTING ACCESS TO PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT LIKE THERAPY, SCHOOL COUNSELING, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING PEOPLE TO TALK TO AND THEY'RE NOT JUST DEALING WITH THEIR ON THEIR OWN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LOSS OF SOMEONE AS IMPORTANT AS A CAREGIVER. DOCTOR LEE, THANKS
