The United States is seeing a significant increase in the number of orphans

The number of orphans in the US has increased significantly over the past two decades, according to a new study. The research, published in NaturopathyEstimated that in 2021, 2.9 million children in the United States, or 4.2% of all American children, had experienced the death of at least one parent or grandparent responsible for most of the child’s basic needs.

Orphanage is defined by the United Nations Children’s Fund as the death of one or both parents. The study estimates that between 2000 and 2021, there was a 56% increase in the number of children affected by the deaths of orphans and caregivers in the US.

The research was jointly led by a team from Imperial College London in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It also found that the five states with the highest orphan burdens were West Virginia, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky, with an estimated 1 in 25 children affected by orphans. These same five states also had the highest poverty rankings (US Census, 2023), indicating a link between poverty and premature death of parents, which in turn produces a hidden generation of orphans among their surviving relatives.

As of 2020, drug overdose is the leading cause of orphan incidence and prevalence, surpassing that of COVID-19. The number of orphans increased between 2020 and 2021 primarily due to the intersecting crises of the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notably, for 48 states, fatal injuries – including drug overdose, suicide, homicide and unintentional injuries – were among the top two causes of orphanhood in 2021. such as heart disease and cancer).

The groups of children disproportionately affected by orphanage include an estimated 1.7 million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17, meaning that 1 in 20 adolescents in the U.S. has lost a mother, father, or both parents to premature death.

Higher rates of orphans were also observed among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic black races and ethnicities, with approximately 1 in 15 and 1 in 20 children left without parents, respectively. The highest orphan burden occurred among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adolescents – approximately 1 in 10 children, which is comparable to the number of orphans observed in sub-Saharan Africa early in the HIV pandemic.

Previous research shows that children who experience the loss of a caregiver are at increased risk of poverty, exploitation and sexual violence or abuse, HIV infection, mental health and serious distress, and in some contexts, greater vulnerability to gang involvement and violent extremism. .

Given the magnitude of caregiver deaths, the researchers call for comprehensive, evidence-based programs for children who experience orphanhood as a moral and public health imperative. Findings from this study may inform state-specific responses tailored to the leading causes of parental death, as well as the age and circumstances of the children affected.

The researchers conclude that policies and programs that provide healing and support to 3 million U.S. children who have experienced the deaths of orphans and caregivers can help reduce the acute and long-term negative effects of these adverse childhood experiences.

Evidence suggests that there are three essential components of prevention and response to orphans that effectively promote their recovery and resilience and policy investments for orphans and caregivers that can lead to both all-cause and specific causes: (1) the death of parents/caregivers prevent, through timely prevention and treatment of orphans, the main causes of death and ensure access to health care and mental health care for all; (2) prepare families to provide safe and nurturing alternative care; and (3) protecting children affected by orphanhood and vulnerabilities, through bereavement and mental health care, and parenting, economic and educational support.

Given the magnitude of orphan/caregiver loss and associated threats to children’s mental and physical health and lifelong well-being, these strategies can be contextualized and prioritized.

Dr. Susan Hillis, author of the study at Imperial College London and co-chair of the Global Reference Group on Children Affected by Crisis at the University of Oxford, said: “We estimate that on average one child in every classroom across America has experienced death. from a parent or caregiver. These children are at increased risk of lifelong setbacks unless they can receive the right support in time.

“Our findings demonstrate the urgency to invest in response plans targeting children most at risk and in the locations most affected. Effective policies can build on two decades of experience supporting vulnerable children during the HIV/AIDS epidemic to provide needed support to children experiencing loss from any cause in the U.S.

“We have seen that timely, responsive and supportive interventions transform acute and lasting threats into lifelong benefits. The right help provided for the right period of time can transform trajectories of despair into trajectories of hope.”

The authors note some limitations. Their estimates are generated by mathematical models and do not count the actual number of children affected by the death of a parent or caregiver. Most notably, the estimated number of children per death of caregiver age is estimated from population-level fertility rates, and the actual number of children affected, and thus the incidence and prevalence of caregiver deaths, may be over- or underestimated . Furthermore, limited information on the role of cohabiting grandparents in supporting children may underestimate their contribution to caregiving.

Dr. Oliver Ratmann, senior study author from Imperial College London, added: “Unfortunately, public health data and models cannot actually identify children who are orphaned. But by including on death certificates whether any children are left behind, we can unlock immediate and comprehensive support. at a critical moment, and put an end to the greatest of all challenges: finding all the children who make up this public health crisis.”

Dr. Rachel from Kidman, Stony Brook University, (who was not involved in the study), writes in a linked commentary: “This is a strong study that presents important, detailed information that could enable the government to push for additional I think the work will generate a lot of vital attention, especially since the research shows that drug overdoses are the cause of orphaned children in 2020-2021. This is a public health challenge that requires many more prevention and mitigation services.”

According to the editors of Naturopathy“Orphanhood is an important but overlooked public health crisis that threatens the health, well-being, and social and financial security of children. This study highlights the prevalence and causes of orphan and caregiver loss in the United States, and reveals the burden caused by multiple crises of the opioid epidemic, gun violence, institutional racism, and economic instability. These factors have lasting effects across generations that also increase social inequality.”