Is death education important for young people?

This Healthwatch Shropshire-funded study examined whether death education can benefit young people, their families, and the wider community. The research evaluated CEDAR Education CIC's"Life Lessons" programme, which taught young people about death, dying, bereavement and loss through educational discussions, cultural perspectives and practical communication skills.

The study had three parts:

1. Evaluation of the Life Lessons programme with 33 young people aged 10–24 who had experienced bereavement or significant loss.
2. Feedback from parents, carers, teachers and youth workers who observed the participants.
3. Survey of 174 members of the public across Shropshire about attitudes towards death education. 

The research found that young people were both willing and able to discuss death when given appropriate support and education. Participants reported:

• Greater confidence discussing death and bereavement
• Increased understanding of different cultural and social views of death
• Improved communication skills
• Greater empathy towards others experiencing loss
• Reduced feelings of isolation
• Increased willingness to support bereaved peers
• Re-engagement with education and work in some cases
• Reduced self-harming behaviours in some participants 

A key finding was that death itself was not necessarily taboo for young people; rather, they lacked the language and confidence to discuss it. Education appeared to overcome this barrier.

Participants unanimously felt death education should be taught in secondary schools and many also recommended training for parents and teachers so adults could better support young people experiencing loss.

Feedback from parents, carers, teachers and youth workers was overwhelmingly positive.

Reported benefits included:

• Better parent-child communication
• Increased confidence
• Improved emotional wellbeing
• Better social interactions
• Greater openness in discussing bereavement
• Improved coping skills

All parent/carer respondents felt death education was important and should be available to children and young people. 

Professionals also reported that participants were better able to support peers experiencing bereavement, applying what they had learned in real-life situations. 

Among the 174 members of the public surveyed:

• 69% had never heard of death education
• 93% believed learning to talk about death and loss in healthy ways would be beneficial
• 93% believed death education should be taught to young people 

Perceived benefits included:

• Improved emotional and mental wellbeing
• Better communication
• Reduced social isolation
• Improved coping with bereavement
• Better understanding of financial and practical issues following death 

Most respondents thought death education should begin around secondary-school age, although many said it should be delivered according to individual maturity and understanding. 

The report states that, several years after the programme:

• 10 former participants joined a CEDAR Youth Advisory Team.
• Some students re-engaged with education and pursued university.
• Four participants chose health and social care studies.
• Many participants continued volunteering and supporting others.
• Reductions in anger, isolation and self-harming behaviours were reported.