Factors associated with grief and depression following the loss of a child: A multivariate analysis

Abstract

The present study aims to explore the factors which are associated with grief and depression outcomes in a group of bereaved parents in the first few years following the loss of a child. Sixty-four participants were recruited from bereavement support organisations, between two and 59 months post loss, mean 30 months (SD = 15). They completed a questionnaire packet which comprised standard instruments measuring grief, depression, coping styles, continuing bonds and optimism/pessimism, as well as a number of specific bereavement-related questions. Univariate analyses were conducted to establish which factors were associated with grief and depression. Those which were statistically significant were then entered into multivariate analyses to establish their relative importance. High levels of avoidance and depression and lower levels of cognitive restructuring (benefit finding) were associated with higher grief symptoms, whereas higher levels of avoidance and alcohol/substance use were associated with higher depression symptoms. The present study highlights the relative importance of different coping strategies adopted by this group of bereaved parents, compared to the relative unimportance of circumstances around the loss, e.g. sudden or violent death. The use of alcohol and other substances by bereaved parents requires urgent attention as a potentially life-threatening maladaptive coping strategy. The call for further research into risk factors for bereaved parents is emphasised.

Optimism in prolonged grief and depression following loss: A three-wave longitudinal study

“…In accord with prior research (e.g., Harper et al, 2013), we found that higher optimism was concurrently associated with lower symptom levels of PGD and depression. Our prospective analyses showed that optimism scores did not predict PGD severity 6 and 15 months beyond baseline, when controlling for baseline PGD severity.…”

“…Ai et al (2006) found personal loss in the 9/11 attacks to be associated with more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among individuals low in dispositional optimism, but not those who scored high on optimism. Harper et al (2013) found optimism to be concurrently associated with less severe complicated grief reactions among parents who lost a child. Wagner et al (2007) examined optimism as an outcome of online therapy for complicated grief; somewhat in contrast with the aforementioned findings, they did not find evidence that baseline optimism was associated with greater reduction in symptoms over time.…”

Mini Review:The Mental and Physical Consequences of Chinese Shidu Parents

“…Based on the 2011 baseline data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 17 whose data cover 17,705 individuals aged 45 or older, living in 10,287 households in 450 rural villages or urban communities with 6,739 observations with complete information, the effects were significantly stronger for losing all the children, similar to losing the only child, than those having a living child or not losing, compared the mental health, happiness and loneliness after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Previous research also has shown that bereaved parents exhibit more symptoms of depression, anxiety, loneliness, grief, and posttraumatic stress disorder than did their non-bereaved counterparts 18,19 . Meanwhile, bereavement was associated with long-term mortality due to illness (e.g., cancer), presumably because of stress, a weakened immune system, or poor health behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption).…”

Mothers’ narratives about having a child with cancer: A view through the attachment lens

“…This is supported by bereavement literature concerning parental responses to the loss of their child (e.g. Harper, O'Connor, & O'Carroll, 2013). The mothers were interviewed after their child completed treatment with a successful outcome.…”