Loss of a Parent in Disney and Pixar Films: What We Can Learn?

Aug 23, 2026

Early parental loss is a tragic experience for children that triggers complex emotional and psychological reactions. Providing a supportive environment where children can express feelings is crucial for coping. This study examines how Disney and Pixar animated films depict parental death using a multimethod design and the QUAGOL approach. Across 13 films (1937–2022), qualitative analysis identifies seven concepts that shape how children may see their grieving reflected in film, supporting conversation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Parental death as a traumatic event

Children’s understanding and variability in reactions

Importance of supportive environments and caregiving conversations

Media portrayals and coping through social learning

Original Manuscript Loss ofa Parent in Disney and Pixar Films: What We Can Learn? OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying 2024, Vol. 0(0) 1–28 © The Author(s) 2024 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions) [DOI: 10.1177/00302228241295344](DOI: 10.1177/00302228241295344)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/00302228241295344)[journals.sagepub.com/home/ome](journals.sagepub.com/home/ome) Corina Sgier 1 􀀁, Mirriam Tyebally Fang1, Andrea Glssel 1,2, and Settimio Monteverde 1,3 Abstract Early parental loss is a tragic experience for children causing complex reactions to the loss. Providing a supportive environment where they can express their feelings is crucial to help them cope with this challenging experience. This study analyses the depiction of parental death in animated ﬁlms by Disney and Pixar using a multimethod design and includingthe QUAGOL approach. We identiﬁed 13 ﬁlms showing the death of one or both parents. The qualitative analysis of the ﬁlms, published from 1937 until 2022, revealed seven concepts that potentially affect the way children see their grieving process reﬂected in the ﬁlms: The representational techniques, ﬁnding protection and relationships, searching for identity, being different and having alternative skills, talking about death, dealing with emotions and coping with the loss. The identiﬁed ﬁlms can be used to open a conversation with children who have lost one or both parents to discuss their situation. Keywords parental death, parentally bereaved children, disney and pixar ﬁlm, QUAGOL, narration 1 Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (IBME), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland 2Institute of Public Health (IPH), Department of Health Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Winterthur, Switzerland 3School of Health Professions, Bern University of Applied Science, Bern, Switzerland Corresponding Author: Corina Sgier, Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (IBME) of the University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, Zurich 8006, Switzerland. Email: [c.sgier@gmail.com](c.sgier@gmail.com) Introduction Losing a loved one by death is a profound life-altering event (Champion & Kilcullen, 2023; Dutta et al., 2019) . The death of a parent is considered one of the most stressful and traumatic experiences for children and adolescents (Alvis et al., 2023; Haine et al., 2008; Luecken & Roubinov, 2012; Yeaworth et al., 1980) . The bonds we share with loved ones play a signiﬁcant role in shaping our identity, enriching a sense of belonging, and ﬁlling our lives with meaning and purpose (Champion & Kilcullen, 2023; Shear, 2015) . The loss of a loved one can lead us to question our existence and the meaning behind it. However, children ’s perception of the death of parents can vary widely depending on their age (Høeg et al., 2017; Kennedy et al., 2018; Menendez et al., 2020; Stroebe et al., 2007), social and cultural inclusion (Menendez et al., 2020; Stroebe et al., 2007), socio-economic factors such as poverty (Stroebe et al., 2007; Wimpenny et al., 2007), and circumstances, such as received family support received surrounding the loss (Høeg et al., 2017; Stroebe et al., 2007; Wimpenny et al., 2007) . Similarly, children ’s reactions to the death of a parent can vary in complexity. Providing a supportive environment where they can express their feelings is crucial to help them navigate this challenging experience (Colman et al., 2014) . At the age of ten, most children have fully grasped that death is inevitable, permanent, and irreversible. However, many children younger than ten years might only possess a limited comprehension of death due to their cognitive immaturity (Colman et al., 2014) . One in ﬁve children who have lost a parent develops a psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety, regression, or depression (Dowdney, 2000) . The process of constructing the events into a meaningful narrative enable

FAQs

How does early parental loss affect children according to the study?

The study describes early parental loss as a tragic experience leading to complex reactions. It emphasizes the need for supportive environments where children can express their feelings.

What method does the research use to analyze Disney and Pixar films?

The study uses a multimethod design and includes the QUAGOL approach to analyze depictions of parental death in animated films.

What kinds of concepts do the analyzed films highlight about children’s grieving?

Qualitative analysis identified seven concepts that potentially influence how children see their grieving reflected in films, including coping emotions, talking about death, identity search, and relationships.

Aug 23, 2026

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