Abstract
The death of a parent from terminal illness is one of the most distressing experiences a child can face. When communication between parents and children is limited, or not developmentally appropriate, children may experience unresolved grief, increasing the risk of long-term emotional, behavioural, social and educational difficulties.
Parents often seek support to help their children cope during terminal illness. However, most existing interventions focus on bereavement after parental death rather than support before an anticipated loss. Pre-bereavement interventions are often limited to specific diseases, populations or outcomes, reducing their wider applicability.