Psychology in Child Development: impacts on grief

CWSF · 2026 Health & Wellness

Victoria Flett · Intermediate Division · Grades 9–10

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Overview

Grief is a strong feeling of sadness that happens when someone loses a person or something important. It affects kids and teens differently because their brains are still growing and learning to understand emotions. In early childhood ages 0 to 5 children may not understand death is permanent, so they can feel confused, scared, or clingy, and may cry more, have trouble sleeping, or return to younger behaviors. From ages 6 to 9 children begin to understand more but may feel guilty and have trouble focusing or show anger or physical pain. In ages 10 to 12 kids understand death is permanent and may feel strong sadness, anger, or anxiety and may hide feelings. Teenagers ages 13 to 18 feel intense emotions and may withdraw, take risks, or question life. Overall grief affects thinking, feelings, behavior, and learning during development. This can impact relationships and school performance over time.

Video

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Video

Hi, my name is Victoria, and my project is about grief and how it affects the growing brain. I chose this topic because I was curious about how kids and teens deal with loss in different ways as they grow up.

Grief is a strong feeling of sadness when you lose someone important. It affects people differently depending on their age. Younger kids might feel confused or scared because they don’t fully understand death. Older kids and teens can feel stronger emotions like sadness, anger, or anxiety.

As the brain develops, grief can affect how a person thinks, feels, and acts.

Overall, my project shows that grief is different for everyone, and understanding it can help us support people going through loss.

Why?

Purpose:

i specifically chose this topic to understand the process of grief and what it can do to the developing brain...

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Hypothesis

How Grief Affects the Developing Brain and Body

Ages 0–5 (Early Childhood):

grief may strongly disrupt brain development because the brain is rapidly forming connections. Stress hormones like cortisol can become overactive, affecting the amygdala and slowing healthy growth in areas tied to learning and attachment. Mentally, children may feel confusion, fear, and insecurity, though they cannot fully understand loss. Physically, grief may appear as sleep problems, appetite changes, stomach aches, or delayed development. The body can stay in a heightened stress state, making it harder to feel safe and regulated.

Ages 6–12 (Middle Childhood):

During this stage, children begin to understand death, which can intensify emotional and cognitive effects. The brain’s prefrontal cortex may struggle under ongoing stress. Mentally, grief can lead to sadness, anger, trouble concentrating, and memory issues. Physically, children may experience headaches, fatigue, or weakened immune responses. Chronic stress can interfere with school performance and social development, as the brain prioritizes emotional survival over learning.

Ages 13–18 (Adolescence):

In adolescence, grief may deeply impact identity and emotional control. The brain is still maturing, especially in areas tied to impulse control and reasoning. Mentally, grief can increase risk of depression, anxiety, and isolation. Physically, teens may experience sleep disruption, low energy, or changes in appetite. The combined brain-body stress response may lead to risky behaviors or long-term challenges.

How?

procedure:

This project was done as a research investigation to study how grief affects brain and body development in children and teens.

First, I wrote my research question: How does grief affect the developing brain and body? This helped guide my research and keep it focused. Next, I used reliable sources such as educational websites, psychology articles, and medical information to gather facts about grief and brain development.

Then, I organized my notes into three age groups: 0–5 years, 6–12 years, and 13–18 years. For each group, I wrote down information about how grief affects the brain, emotions, and physical health.

After collecting the information, I compared the age groups to look for patterns and changes in how grief affects development over time. Finally, I used these patterns to decide whether my hypothesis was supported.

All notes, organization, and conclusions in this project were independently created and written based on my own research and understanding of the sources used.

What?

Observe/data/results:

For this project, I collected information from reliable medical and psychology sources and organized it by age groups to see how grief affects the developing brain and body. Across all sources, a clear pattern showed up depending on age and brain development.

In children ages 0–5, grief is mostly shown through physical and behavioural changes. Since children at this age can’t fully explain what they’re feeling, stress often appears in the body. Common signs included sleep problems, changes in appetite, stomach aches, and being more clingy or upset than usual. Research also suggests that stress can affect early brain development, especially areas involved in emotional regulation and attachment.

For ages 6–12, the effects of grief become more emotional and academic. Children in this group start to understand that loss is permanent, which can lead to sadness, anger, or confusion. Many sources also mentioned problems with focus, memory, and school performance. Physical symptoms like headaches, tiredness, and low energy were also common. Stress at this stage can make it harder for the brain to concentrate and manage emotions.

In ages 13–18, grief tends to become more internal and emotionally complex. Teenagers may show signs of anxiety, depression, or withdrawal from friends and activities. Some also experience sleep changes, low energy, and changes in appetite. Because the brain is still developing, especially areas linked to decision-making and emotional control, grief can feel intense and harder to manage.

Overall, the data shows that grief affects both the brain and body at every stage, but how it shows up changes with age.

So What?

Conclusion:

Overall, the results show that grief affects both the brain and body in developing children and teens, but the way it appears changes with age. In younger children (0–5), grief is mostly shown through physical and behavioural changes because they do not fully understand what they are feeling. In middle childhood (6–12), grief begins to affect emotions, thinking, and school performance more strongly. In teenagers (13–18), grief becomes more internal and can have a stronger impact on mental health, emotional control, sleep, and overall well-being because the brain is still developing.

This means that grief is not only an emotional experience, but also something that can affect physical health and brain development. Because the brain and body are closely connected, strong emotional stress can influence sleep, focus, behaviour, and learning. It also shows that age and brain development play a major role in how grief is experienced, meaning people can react very differently even if they are going through the same type of loss.

This is important because it helps explain why children and teens may react to grief in ways that are not always obvious, such as anger, withdrawal, changes in behaviour, or physical symptoms. Understanding this can help parents, teachers, and caregivers respond with more support and patience instead of misunderstanding these reactions. It also highlights how important emotional support is during development, since long-term stress can affect both mental health and learning over time.

What's Next?

If I were to improve this project, I would try to use more specific real-life examples or case studies to strengthen the connection between research and real situations. I could also include a simple survey or interview (if allowed) to compare my findings with actual experiences, which would make the data more personal and detailed. Another improvement would be adding visuals like brain diagrams or charts to make the information easier to understand. For next steps, I would explore how different types of support (family, school, therapy) can reduce the effects of grief and help recovery in children and teens.

Thanks

i would like to thank Isabel for guiding me through the process, and chloe for encouraging me to participate in the science fair when i was very hesitant about it.