Abstract
Children's reaction to death of a close person and the process of mourning is influenced by the state of their development. The article deals with the progress in children's understanding of death until the mature concept of death is achieved.
It clarifies stages of the mourning process in children and points out risk behaviour related to particular stages of mourning and possibility of the development of psychiatrical disorders. Case report illustrates a complicated postponed mourning in adolescent patient after the loss of her father.