An online programme for grieving children sounds like an answer to the lack of help. An Australian team around Sarah Egan tested it in a controlled trial. The result is less good than you would hope, and that is exactly why it is useful.
What was studied
96 children aged 6 to 12 were randomly given an online programme for four weeks, or put on a waiting list. The programme was based on cognitive behavioural therapy, had two modules a week and was not guided by a professional. It was designed together with eleven children who had lost a parent or a brother or sister themselves. It was also meant for other losses: about one in six children had experienced a divorce. There was no minimum for how sad a child was or how long ago the loss had been. For children after a death, it was on average almost two years, ranging from one week to eight years. Younger children did the programme with the help of a parent or carer. The main question was anxiety. The researchers also looked at well-being, depression, stress after shocking events and grief symptoms.
What came out of it
On the main question and on the other measures, there was no difference between the groups. In both groups, anxiety, stress and grief symptoms went down over the weeks. Only when looking at clinically meaningful improvement did slightly more children in the programme improve on grief symptoms. The authors themselves say this should be read with caution.
All the children who completed the programme said they would recommend it to others. They mostly mentioned the videos of other children. What got in the way was time: two modules a week on top of school and sport.
How strong is this
This is a small, early trial, meant to check whether such a programme is workable. The most important point is not in the summary. Of the 48 children in the programme group, 32 answered the question whether they had used the programme, and 16 said yes. The researchers turn that into a third of the group, but they cannot be sure, because a third of the children did not answer. There is also no measure of real use, because they stored nothing on the website for privacy reasons. A programme that is used so little can hardly show an effect, even if it works. The most used parts were drawing, doing something fun and the explanation of what grief is. The core of the therapy, looking up painful memories and learning to see them differently, was probably used very little.
There are other weak points. The group size was calculated for a large effect. The children and the researchers knew who was in which group. Children on the waiting list were allowed to look for help elsewhere. At the end, 40 percent of the programme group and 27 percent of the waiting-list group had dropped out. The questionnaire for depression was not very reliable. In recruitment, all three organisations running grief camps took part, but none of the 15 funeral homes approached brought in a child. So the trial shows neither that the programme does not work, nor that it does.
What this means for practice
- Do not read this as proof that online help for children cannot work. A programme with no guidance was hardly used by young children. The researchers think guidance on request is important, especially for children under ten. The text may also have been too difficult for the youngest.
- What was used most is not a technique: drawing, doing something fun, hearing what grief is. These are low-threshold things where an adult can sit next to the child.
- A parent who is grieving themselves may find it hard to guide a child through such a programme. The researchers mention this as a possible explanation, but they did not measure the parents’ grief.
Read the article (PMC, open access) · DOI
Source
Egan, S. J., et al. (2026). Supporting kids in loss: A randomised controlled trial of a co-produced unguided internet cognitive behaviour therapy intervention for grieving children. Internet Interventions, 46, 101008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2026.101008