{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T08:44:08Z","timestamp":1792140248944,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791849600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"Vivienne\u2019s Joy Foundation"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Omega (Westport)"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Each year, approximately 500 U.S. children aged 1\u201318 years die suddenly and without explanation. Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a devastating loss with profound psychological consequences for caregivers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 174 caregivers whose child's death was classified as SUDC at least one year earlier. Using a trauma-informed framework, we assessed anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), prolonged grief (BGQ), posttraumatic stress disorder (PCL-6), functional impairment (WSAS), and experiences with emergency medical services (EMS) and emergency department (ED) personnel. Moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression were reported by 26.4% and 22.4% of caregivers, respectively, and 35.4% had probable PTSD. Distress was greatest among caregivers whose loss occurred 1\u20132 years earlier and those aged \u226440 years. Nearly half reported neutral or negative interactions with EMS and ED personnel, highlighting the need for trauma-informed training for professionals supporting families following a child\u2019s sudden and unexplained death.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00302228261496832","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T00:19:14Z","timestamp":1791937154000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Psychological Impact of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood: Associations Between Early Professional Interactions and Long-Term Distress Among Bereaved Caregivers"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"given":"Corey H.","family":"Basch","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, William Paterson University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"Milano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, William Paterson University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erin","family":"Bowen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Orange Pediatrics"},{"name":"The Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tina Y.","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Grace C.","family":"Hillyer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation"},{"name":"Columbia University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjspcare-2019-001823"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0302725"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1049909112444301"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2023.102375"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0252324"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/00302228231170417"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1541783"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjpo-2025-003812"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.32481\/djph.2022.05.003"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2190\/OM.68.1.c"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-684X-3-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2024-327840"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.genhosppsych.2015.07.009"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/epi.13066"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_16_1","unstructured":"IBM Corp. (2023). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 29) [Computer software]. IBM Corp."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/children4110096"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/20008066.2024.2371762"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychires.2021.01.039"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10024-005-1155-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2004.04.005"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.180.5.461"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-036925"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07481187.2018.1456620"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2014-1246"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_27_1","volume-title":"Unexplained Pediatric Deaths: Investigation, Certification, and Family Needs","author":"Palusci V. J.","year":"2019","unstructured":"Palusci V. J., Devinsky O., Drake S. A., Kay A. J., Landi K., Bowen E., Crandall L. G. (2019). Family needs and follow-up care after the sudden, unexpected death of a child. In The National Association of Medical Examiners\u2019 Panel on Sudden Unexpected Death in Pediatrics, Bundock E. A., Corey T. S., Andrew T. A., Crandall L. G., Eason E. A., Gunther W. M., Moon R. Y., Palusci V. J., Schmidt C. M., Sens M. A. (Eds.), Unexplained Pediatric Deaths: Investigation, Certification, and Family Needs. Academic Forensic Pathology International. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK577017\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_28_1","unstructured":"Red Nose Grief and Loss. (2016). Guiding light: Sudden unexpected death in childhood. https:\/\/rednosegriefandloss.org.au\/downloads\/05092016-Sudden-Unexpected-Death-in-Childhood.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/28355245.2024.2411785"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pbc.23386"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_31_1","unstructured":"SAMHSA\u2019s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884). (2014). Substance abuse and mental health services administration. https:\/\/www.health.ny.gov\/health_care\/medicaid\/program\/medicaid_health_homes\/docs\/samhsa_trauma_concept_paper.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/children8040278"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-020-02639-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_34_1","volume-title":"SIDS sudden infant and early childhood death: The past, the present and the future","author":"Shapiro-Mendoza C. K.","year":"2018","unstructured":"Shapiro-Mendoza C. K., Parks S., Lambert A. E., Camperlengo L., Cottengim C., Olson C. (2018). Chapter 13. The epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome and sudden unexpected infant deaths: Diagnostic shift and other temporal changes. In SIDS sudden infant and early childhood death: The past, the present and the future. University of Adelaide Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/ps.2006.57.9.1291"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ANC.0000000000000567"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.166.10.1092"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/074811899201046"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10499091211015913"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.focus.20200052"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_41_1","volume-title":"Symptoms of anxiety and depression among adults: United States, 2019 and 2022","author":"Terlizzi E.","year":"2024","unstructured":"Terlizzi E., Zablotsky B. (2024). Symptoms of anxiety and depression among adults: United States, 2019 and 2022. National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15620\/cdc\/164018"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_42_1","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025). Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). https:\/\/www.ptsd.va.gov\/professional\/assessment\/adult-int\/caps.asp"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2021.12.025"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/PEC.0000000000003074"}],"container-title":["OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00302228261496832","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/00302228261496832","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00302228261496832","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T07:48:23Z","timestamp":1792136903000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/00302228261496832"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]]},"references-count":43,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/00302228261496832"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/00302228261496832","relation":{},"ISSN":["0030-2228","1541-3764"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0030-2228","type":"print"},{"value":"1541-3764","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]]},"article-number":"00302228261496832"}}