Prevalence of grief disorders in bereaved families of cancer patients: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Cancer caregiving is a distressing experience and loss of a loved one can lead to intense grief and other adverse effects. However, the prevalence of grief disorders among families associated with cancer-related deaths remains unknown. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of grief disorders among families of patients with cancer to better inform clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. Design: Meta-analysis, PROSPERO number CRD42020209392. Data sources: The databases of CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched with no language restrictions. The quality of included studies was assessed with Hoy’s criteria. Results: Among the 3046 records screened, 19 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, with a total of 14,971 participants. The pooled prevalence rate of grief disorders was estimated at 14.2% (95% CI, 11.7%–16.7%), ranging from 7% to 39%. The prevalence was higher in females (10%; 95% CI, 8.2%–12.1%), those who are religious (9.55%; 95% CI, 8.97%–10.16%), spouses of the deceased (7.78%; 95% CI, 6.08%–9.69%), and families of patients with neurological cancers (6.4%; 95% CI, 0.10%–19.9%). Educational levels, study locations, diagnosis tools, time post-after loss, and study methods seemed not to affect the prevalence of grief disorders in families of patients with cancer. Conclusions: As the prevalence of grief disorders in cancer-related bereavement is substantial, therefore, support including palliative care is important to reduce the burden of caregiving. In addition, future studies are needed to identify and explore effective strategies that can help reduce the burden caused by grief disorders after the death of the patient.

Anticipatory grief prevalence among caregivers of persons with a life-threatening illness: A meta-analysis

“…Our study found that the overall prevalence of anticipatory grief in caregivers of persons with a life-threatening illness was 24.78% with no significant differences from the sensitivity analyses. Our results show that nearly 25 out of 100 caregivers experienced anticipatory grief and has demonstrated a much higher prevalence rate than postloss grief disorders in the general population with a rate of 9.8%15 and bereaved families by cancer with a rate of 14.2%,16 although it is lower than grief related to unnatural death of 49.0% 17. The pooled prevalence is moderated by the variables of age, gender and marital status.…”

“…Yet, due to the daily caregiving responsibilities, anticipatory grief is often overlooked by the caregivers and healthcare workers5 while there are several grief measurement tools11 12 and various interventions13 14 available in the bereavement care area. Negative bereavement outcomes have been acknowledged in the area of after-loss with the prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in the general population of bereaved individuals at 9.8%,15 among bereaved families due to cancer at 14.2%16 and unnatural-related deaths at 49% 17. The extent of caregivers’ grief for life-threatening illness preceding the death has been considered to be greater than in the period after the death,18 but to our knowledge, no meta-analysis has been conducted so far to investigate the global prevalence of anticipatory grief.…”

Open communication between patients and relatives about illness & death in advanced cancer—results of the eQuiPe Study

“…Studies have shown that many relatives experience high levels of caregiver burden, psychological distress and poor quality of life while providing care [ 1 – 5 ]. Even after the death of a loved one, relatives experience psychological problems such as bereavement distress [ 6 ]. It is therefore important to explore ways to reduce the burden on relatives, including investigating factors such as open communication about illness and death.…”

Prevalence of grief symptoms and disorders in the time of COVID‐19 pandemic: A meta‐analysis

“…The previous meta‐analysis identified that 9.8% of bereaved adults in the population met the criteria of prolonged grief disorder (Lundorff et al, 2017). According to a previously published meta‐analysis, families of cancer patients were even more likely to experience grief disorder (14.2%), although the prevalence rate remained lower than the bereaved population by unnatural deaths (49.0%) (Djelantik et al, 2020; Kustanti, Chu, Kang, Huang, et al, 2021). The psychological adjustment to significant loss is frequently associated with gender, age, socioeconomic status, education level, and kinship (Djelantik et al, 2020; Lundorff et al, 2017).…”