Latent profiles of coping and subjective views in parentally bereaved children: Predicting depression symptoms, intrusive grief, and suicidality over time

Childhood bereavement is a public health issue with significant mental health implications, including depression, intrusive grief, and suicidality. Theories suggest that children's malleable processes, like coping and subjective views of themselves and their environment, influence adaptation to bereavement. Protective processes may mitigate mental health risks, while risk processes may exacerbate them. Using a sample of support-seeking, parentally-bereaved children (8-16 years; <i>M</i> = 11.39, <i>SD</i> = 2.43; 53% male; 67% White), this study employs latent profile analysis to identify baseline patterns of coping and subjective views; and examines how profile membership predicts depression symptoms, intrusive grief, and suicidality at 14-month and six-year assessments. Three profiles were identified: <i>Low Protective-High Risk</i> (34%), <i>High Protective-Low Risk</i> (23%), and <i>High Protective-High Risk</i> (43%). Profile membership predicted depression symptoms. Children in the <i>Low Protective-High Risk</i> profile showed higher depression symptoms than those in the other profiles 14-months later, while children in the <i>High Protective-Low Risk</i> profile unexpectedly showed higher depression symptoms six-years later compared to those in the <i>Low Protective-High Risk</i> profile. Profile membership did not predict intrusive grief or suicidality. Findings underscore the importance of person-centered approaches in understanding adaptation following parental death and raise questions about the association between baseline childhood protective processes and long-term depression symptoms.