Reconsidering early parental grief following the death of a child from cancer: a new framework for future research and bereavement support

Snaman, Jennifer M.; Morris, Sue; Rosenberg, Abby R.; Holder, Rachel; Baker, Justin N.; Wolfe, Joanne

doi:10.1007/s00520-019-05249-3

Cited by 28 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The facilitating and complicating factors for coping with grief found in this study can also be seen in a review article (Snaman et al, 2019) on parents of children who had died from cancer. Some of the results in this study confirm factors in their findings, e.g., social support and personal growth, which were labeled as protective factors.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Parents’ views on what facilitated or complicated their grief after losing a child to cancer

et al. 2020

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Objectives The loss of a child is a devastating event, and bereaved parents often suffer intense and long-lasting grief reactions and are at risk for psychological symptoms. More knowledge about how parents cope with grief may improve the support to bereaved parents. This study, therefore, aimed to explore parents’ views on what facilitated or complicated their grief coping after losing a child to cancer. Methods This study was derived from a nationwide postal survey. Cancer-bereaved parents (n = 161) provided written responses to two open-ended questions: “Is there anything that has helped you cope with your grief after your child's death?” and “Is there anything that made it difficult for you to cope with your grief?” Content analysis was used to analyze the responses. Results Parents reported that a supportive social network of family and friends, and having remaining children, facilitated their coping with grief. Meeting professional counselors and meeting other bereaved parents, connecting to memories of the deceased child in various contexts, including school and pediatric care settings, were also reported facilitating grief coping. Parents stated that the following experiences had complicated grief coping: additional losses in their family or social network; not being able to share emotions with their partner; when they perceived that friends, relatives, or colleagues lacked empathy or patience; when they felt challenging demands from employers at a too early stage. Significance of results This study contributes to the understanding of parents’ grief experiences and what has facilitated or complicated their coping with grief, which can help health care professionals and others improve bereavement support services.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Parents’ views on what facilitated or complicated their grief after losing a child to cancer

et al. 2020

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“…For bereaved parents, the importance of these rituals and experiences is amplified (Helton et al, 2020). A recent article published by Snaman et al prior to the pandemic offered a conceptual framework for understanding the longitudinal complexity of bereaved parents following the death of a child (Snaman et al, 2020). The model identifies protective factors (social support, meaning making, comforting continuing bonds) and risk factors (prolonged grief, isolation, financial strain, decisional regret) undermined and enhanced, respectively, in the current climate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating the terrain of moral distress: Experiences of pediatric end-of-life care and bereavement during COVID-19

et al. 2021

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Objective Parents of seriously ill children worry about their vulnerable child contracting COVID-19, whether their child's palliative care providers will be able to continue to provide the same quality of care to their child, and who can be with the child to provide comfort. For providers, shifts in healthcare provision, communication formats, and support offerings for families facing distress or loss during the pandemic may promote providers’ moral distress. This study aimed to define the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted end-of-life care and approach to bereavement care in pediatric palliative care (PPC). Method The Palliative Assessment of Needed DEvelopments and Modifications In the Era of Coronavirus (PANDEMIC) survey was developed to learn about the PPC experience during COVID-19 in the United States. The survey was posted with permission on seven nationally focused Listservs. Results A total of 207 PPC team members from 80 cities within 39 states and the District of Columbia participated. In the majority of hospitals, admitted pediatric patients were only allowed one parent as a visitor with the exception of both parents or nuclear family at end of life. Creative alternatives to grief support and traditional funeral services were described. The high incidence of respondents’ depicted moral distress was often focused on an inability to provide a desired level of care due to existing rules and policies and bearing witness to patient and family suffering enhanced by the pandemic. Significance of results The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the provision of end-of-life care and bereavement for children, family caregivers, and PPC providers. Our results identify tangible limitations of restricted personal contact and the pain of watching families stumble through a stunted grieving process. It is imperative that we find solutions for future global challenges and to foster solidarity in PPC.

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“…4,5 Relational connection and community support have been identified as protective factors in the processing and adaptation of parental grief. 6 Parental grief may also be exacerbated by secondary losses, including loss of the relationship with the child's medical team. 7 Bereaved parents identify their child's medical team as an ongoing part of their grief journey and report the importance of maintaining these connections past the death of their child.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Actual Solidarity through Virtual Support: A Pilot Descriptive Study of an Online Support Group for Bereaved Parents

Weaver

Jurgens

Neumann

et al. 2021

Journal of Palliative Medicine

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Background: Hospital-based support for bereaved parents is regarded as best practice. Little is known about parental perceptions or programmatic potential of online grief support. Objectives: To learn from bereaved parent participants' experiences with an online support group to include perceptions of technology acceptance and group communication dynamics. Design: Descriptive study reporting on an eight-week online bereavement support group offered during summer 2020. Subjects and Setting: Inclusive of six bereaved parent participants in the Midwestern United States. Measurements: Post-intervention survey consisting of 49-items with the Technology Acceptance Model and Other Communicated Perspective-Taking Ability instruments embedded. Results: Five bereaved mothers and one father (mean age 32 years) residing an average 126 miles from hospital participated in an online support group in a timeframe seven months to one year from the death of their child. Intensity of grief emotion (5/6 parents) and physical distance (4/6 parents) were notable barriers to in-person visits to the hospital, where bereavement support was to be offered. Parents uniformly reported feeling benefit from the program and satisfaction with the program. Respondents self-reported gaining improved communication (4/6 parents), coping (3/6 parents), peer support (3/6 parents), education (3/6 parents), and emotional expression (3/6 parents). Mean scores on the technology acceptance and communication experiences scales were 4.7/5. The virtual format was an acceptable modality with perceived supportive interpersonal communication dynamics. Conclusion: Pediatric palliative care teams may consider the offering of online bereavement support groups. Further research is warranted on the impact and outcomes of online bereavement support groups for bereaved parents.

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Reconsidering early parental grief following the death of a child from cancer: a new framework for future research and bereavement support

Cited by 28 publications

References 47 publications

Parents’ views on what facilitated or complicated their grief after losing a child to cancer

Parents’ views on what facilitated or complicated their grief after losing a child to cancer

Navigating the terrain of moral distress: Experiences of pediatric end-of-life care and bereavement during COVID-19

Actual Solidarity through Virtual Support: A Pilot Descriptive Study of an Online Support Group for Bereaved Parents

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