Bereaved Parents’ Health Status During the First 6 Months After Their Child’s Death

Dias, Nancy; Brandon, Debra; Haase, Joan E.; Tanabe, Paula

doi:10.1177/1049909117744188

Cited by 26 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Mothers scored significantly higher on posttraumatic stress symptoms than fathers, F 1 = 5.24, .02. There was no significant interaction between years since loss and gender on posttraumatic stress symptoms F 4 = 1.60, .17.In symptoms of insomnia, we saw no significant effect of years since loss, F 4 = 1.12, 35. and no difference between genders, F 1 = 1.92, 17…”

mentioning

confidence: 68%

“…How individuals adjust to bereavement is predicted by various factors, but the grief experienced by parents is generally very severe, probably reflecting the strong attachment relationship between parents and children. Parents with severely ill children often develop strong relationships with health care staff whom they come to rely on in a distressed situation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…21 While women tend to use loss-oriented coping, focusing on their grief and expressing emotions, men often prefer more externally oriented coping, engaging in practical tasks; this may reflect cultural and societal habits regarding behavior and emotional reactions in both genders. 33 How individuals adjust to bereavement is predicted by various factors, 34 but the grief experienced by parents is generally very severe, 35 probably reflecting the strong attachment relationship between parents and children. Parents with severely ill children often develop strong relationships with health care staff whom they come to rely on in a distressed situation.…”

Section: Differences In Psychological Symptom Levels Across Years Smentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bereaved mothers' and fathers' prolonged grief and psychological health 1 to 5 years after loss—A nationwide study

2019

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Objective To assess differences in prolonged grief, depression, posttraumatic stress, and sleep disturbances in bereaved parents across years since loss (1‐5 years) and by gender and to assess potential interactive effects of time since loss and gender on bereavement outcomes. Methods This study examined symptom levels of prolonged grief disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress, and insomnia in bereaved parents. A sample, including 133 mothers and 92 fathers who had lost a child to cancer 1 to 5 years previously, subdivided to five subsamples, one for each year since loss. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess differences in symptom levels, related to years since loss, and gender. Results Regardless of how many years had passed since the loss, symptom levels of prolonged grief, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and insomnia were elevated in all subsamples. Mothers showed higher symptom levels of prolonged grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress than fathers. However, no significant interaction effects were found between years since loss and gender on any of the symptom levels. Conclusions Cancer‐bereaved mothers and fathers are vulnerable to prolonged grief and psychological symptoms up to 5 years after the death of their child. Findings highlight that bereaved parents may need long‐term support, and the results deserve further attention in research and clinical care.

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mentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Differences In Psychological Symptom Levels Across Years Smentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bereaved mothers' and fathers' prolonged grief and psychological health 1 to 5 years after loss—A nationwide study

2019

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“…40 Dawson 28 specifically highlighted the high attrition rate and difficulty in recruitment resulting in changing study design. Pediatric providers and institutional review boards are protective of this population due to the vulnerability and sensitivity of the topic creating recruitment challenges, 11,40, 41 which can negatively influence the recruitment of parents to bereavement intervention studies. In an effort to overcome sample size issues, research often is extended to a more heterogeneous population with a wide age-group or time since death, which affect the study validity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10 Bereaved parents are prone to illnesses and related health concerns; 25% of the bereaved parents reported new diagnoses of illnesses including prediabetes, anxiety, and sleep disorder. 11 Bereaved parents also experience psychological distress such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and grief-related depressive symptoms that continue to be significant for years after a child's death. 8,12,13 In addition to the physical health of parents, the death of a child can affect social relationships.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Literature Review of the Current State of Knowledge Related to Interventions for Bereaved Parents

Dias

Hendricks-Ferguson

Wei

et al. 2019

Am J Hosp Palliat Care

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Aims: The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe the interventions for bereaved parents, evaluate intervention effectiveness through study methodology rigor, replicability, and theoretical foundations. Methods: We searched MEDLINE via PubMed (1966-2018), CINAHL (1937-present), PsycINFO (1887-present), and Embase (1947-present) using various search words and MeSH terms related to the study purpose. A blinded screening of title/abstract was performed, with conflicting inclusion decisions resolved through group discussions. Matrices for remaining articles were created and discussed among the team. The levels of evidence of the 9 records were rated from very low to high based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation guidelines. Results: Our initial pool included 1025 articles. After the screening of titles/abstracts, 63 articles were retained for full-text reviews. Evaluated based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 9 records met the review criteria. Of the 9 records, 1 was graded as very low, 3 low, and 5 low to moderate. The interventions for bereaved parents varied from using single-model interventions such as expressive arts therapy and telephone support to multimodal interventions that combined resources (ie, peer support, resource packets, and health-care support). Only 1 study explicitly illustrated how its bereavement intervention was designed based on the proposed theoretical model. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for individualized, well-tested, and effective bereavement care interventions to support bereaved parents. In summary, the state of the science on interventions for bereaved parents is poor and much work needs to be done to effectively address the needs of bereaved parents, including both their physical and emotional health needs.

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Hospitalization- and death-related financial and employment effects in parents of children with life-limiting conditions: a fixed-effects analysis

Mitterer,

Zimmermann,

Fink

et al. 2024

Eur J Pediatr

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The purpose of this study is to investigate out-of-pocket non-medical expenses and employment-related outcomes in families of children with life-limiting conditions, specifically, to quantify the financial and employment implications of two events: a child’s hospitalization and death. This cohort study used panel data collected prospectively for a larger study investigating the effectiveness of specialized pediatric palliative care. Participants were recruited by medical professionals between November 2019 and May 2022 at four Swiss children’s hospitals. The care follow-up and bereavement follow-up assessments were 330 and 300 days, respectively. We measured out-of-pocket non-medical expenses, individual full-time equivalent units, and personal income, as well as sick leave and vacation days taken. Analyses included descriptive statistics and two-way linear fixed-effects regressions. The analysis included 110 parents (mothers n = 59, fathers n = 51) of 61 children. Children were hospitalized for a median of 7 days (interquartile range 0–21, range 0–227). The fixed-effects models found a positive association between hospitalization, i.e., length of stay, and travel and accommodation expenses (coefficient 4.18, 95% confidence interval 2.20–6.16). On average, for each week of hospitalization, parents spent an additional 29 Swiss francs on travel and accommodation. During the 300-day bereavement follow-up, six (26%) of 23 parents increased their work commitments, while one reported a decrease.Conclusions: Families incur higher travel and accommodation expenses during hospitalization than during non-hospitalized periods. Instrumental support, e.g., parking vouchers, can help families minimize these costs. Future studies should investigate whether early return to work during bereavement is driven by economic considerations or a desire for distraction.Clinical trial registration: Data analyzed in this study were collected as part of a clinical trial, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT04236180, 15 March 2019 What Is Known:• Families of children with life-limiting conditions are at risk of substantial financial burden from high out-of-pocket medical expenses.• It is also known that parents often have to incur out-of-pocket non-medical expenses and reduce their work commitments. Little is known about the economic consequences of losing a child to a life-limiting condition.What Is New:• We provide new longitudinal evidence on the hospitalization- and death-related financial and employment implications for families of children with life-limiting conditions.• Child hospitalizations add to families’ financial burden through increased travel and accommodation expenses. Work commitments rose during early bereavement.

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Bereaved Parents’ Health Status During the First 6 Months After Their Child’s Death

Abstract: Health data highlight the "at-risk" health status of bereaved parents. Further validation of these data is required to support the development of health promotion and disease prevention programs.

Cited by 26 publications

References 43 publications

Bereaved mothers' and fathers' prolonged grief and psychological health 1 to 5 years after loss—A nationwide study

Bereaved mothers' and fathers' prolonged grief and psychological health 1 to 5 years after loss—A nationwide study

A Systematic Literature Review of the Current State of Knowledge Related to Interventions for Bereaved Parents

Hospitalization- and death-related financial and employment effects in parents of children with life-limiting conditions: a fixed-effects analysis

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