Every loss is unique. Grief isn’t the same for a parent who dies suddenly, a friend lost to suicide, a sibling lost to illness, a miscarriage, or even the death of a pet. What matters most is the person’s role in your young person’s life: the comforter, the guide, the listener, the laughter-bringer. Each absence leaves gaps. You can’t replace the person, but your consistent presence and care can help stabilise the world around them.

• If a parent dies: sudden lack of guidance, protection, or reassurance. Teens may step into caregiving roles prematurely. Adults should watch for these changes and create space to talk openly about them.

• If a sibling dies: feelings of guilt, jealousy, or being overlooked. Family dynamics around favouritism, guilt, or identity may shift.

• If a friend dies: the loss of a shared world outside the family.

• Sudden losses may bring shock, disbelief, trauma responses, and intense emotional swings. Teens and young adults may feel stunned, angry, or confused, and may struggle to make sense of what happened.

• Anticipated losses (after a prolonged illness, for example) can give some time to prepare emotionally, but still carry profound sorrow, exhaustion, and sometimes relief or guilt, even if the loss felt inevitable.

These are just a few examples, but acknowledging these differences without judgment helps young people feel seen. They need you to recognise the loss’s weight and the gaps it leaves, while also supporting them to find ways to fill some of those missing spaces safely.