The impact of family bereavement interventions: Qualitative feedback identifies needs.

Abstract

Objective: To present a synthesis of program improvement evaluations of two approaches to bereavement support for families: (a) weekend family camps providing developmentally targeted grief education and social support for children and parents, and (b) a wait-list control randomized trial of a parent bereavement group intervention. Method: Families eligible for camp experienced a child's death (from any cause) and have surviving children at home. No-cost twice-yearly weekend camps include support sessions and family activities like fishing. After each retreat, parents and children complete an anonymous evaluation. We analyzed forms from 2009-2014 using the constant comparative method to devise a code structure and identify themes to understand camp impact. The second intervention, the bereavement group, included English and Spanish speaking parents of children who died from cancer. They were initially randomized to intervention and wait-list control groups. Intervention included six-weekly sessions of a bereavement program. Participants were invited to a postintervention focus group to better understand reasons for participation, the value of the group, and their support needs. Results: Qualitative findings from both groups strongly indicate that bereaved parents have specific ongoing needs that can be addressed through family-or parent-focused interventions. Families identified benefits including being able to openly express feelings with peers who truly understand, gaining an understanding of individual and developmental differences in the grief Julie N.

Learning, Hope, and Empowerment

“…It is the first study in pediatric chronic pain to include an in-depth thematic analysis of parent perspectives in participating in a parenttargeted, group-based intervention (that was delivered either in-person or virtually). In general, parents have reported generally good feasibility and acceptability of parent interventions for pediatric chronic pain; 6 however, results from this analysis, specifically those regarding the social benefits of a group for parents, are consistent with analyses of feedback from parents in other interventions including bereavement groups, 25 as well as parent interventions related to Autism and eating disorders. 14,26 Thus, this study contributed to a more detailed and nuanced understanding of the most important treatment components to consider for pediatric chronic pain from parents' own perspectives.…”

The loss of a child, bereavement and the search for meaning: A systematic review of the most recent parental interventions

“…The first one consists in a bereavement programme at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where parents and families had the opportunity to participate in clinical interventions conducted by a bereavement coordinator (Snaman et al, 2016 ). Secondly, the study carried out by Henning et al ( 2021 ) consisted in the implementation of two different interventions and their subsequent comparison. The first one consisted in free weekend family camps organized twice a year where families received grief psychoeducation.…”

“…More concretely, 81% of parents when asked about the usefulness of one of the components of the programme, indicated that it was helpful and beneficial for them. Next, another positive impact of a family bereavement intervention was observed in the results obtained by Henning et al (2021). The authors state that both groups of participants identified benefits such as: improved mood and coping capacities, enhanced relationships and communication within their families, as well as a better overall mental health due to their involvement in the intervention.…”

Introduction to the special issue on palliative care, end-of-life, and bereavement: Integrating psychology into pediatric palliative care.

“…Findings underscore the potential role of pediatric psychologists as family advocates, aiming to minimize the familial and societal implications of physical, cognitive, and psychological morbidities parents experience in the face of loss. Finally, Henning et al (2021) synthesize qualitative findings from two avenues of support for bereaved parents: a weekend family camp focused on grief education and social support, and a postintervention focus group from a wait-list controlled randomized trial of a group-based intervention for bereaved parents. Authors share insights on families' expressed needs related to bereavement care and follow-up.…”

“…Authors emphasize clinical implications and offer concrete recommendations for PPC clinicians, which we anticipate will be of the highest value to readers. These include conversational prompts and concrete strategies for intervening in cases where caregivers request nondisclosure (Brown et al, 2021), parent-driven recommendations for programming and direct support for bereaved parents (Clark et al, 2021; Dias et al, 2021; Henning et al, 2021), clinical intervention targets for parents during active treatment (Fisher et al, 2021), and guidance for providing culturally sensitive clinical services (Kentor et al, 2021; Lyon et al, 2021; Sample et al, 2021).…”