Additionally, individuals who lost their parents at an early childhood age are badly affected by bereavement and are more likely to have trouble in achieving academic goals, poor parenting skills and poor marital relationships. Current research on parental bereavement have associated poor health conditions such as depression symptoms, low self-confidence, low academic qualifications and poor family support in bereaved young adults. Additionally, the bereaved young adults appear to be less optimistic of their future due to poor academic achievements and aspirations. Numerous social researches on parent bereavement have indicated that older siblings are worse affected compared to younger ones at the time of the death of the parent. The older siblings are more likely to take up the parent's responsibilities in managing the younger children. as a result, the elderly bereaved siblings are less likely to venture in attainment of high academic qualifications since they take up odd jobs to cater their younger siblings(Shapiro, 1994). .
The effects of parent bereavement have affected diverse domains of competence, adjustment to bereavement and other indicators of psycho-phathography. The effects have progressed and spread across different domains with respect to time. For example, the elderly bereaved young adults may become withdrawn, and limit social interaction with individuals in the society. The result may include social stigmatization and poor relationships. Ultimately, the bereaved young adults may end up with mental disorders such as depression resulting to poor physical health. It is for this reasons that psychologists and sociologists recommend that the society understands the developmental competence of elderly bereaved young adults in order to eliminate these adverse effects of parent bereavement. The degree of the effect of parent bereavement concerning developmental competence is partly affected by family adaptability and cohesion.
