The purpose of this article is to provide data on a recently developed instrument to measure the multidimensional nature of the bereavement process. In contrast to widely used grief instruments that have been developed using rational methods of…
This descriptive study used qualitative methods to look at two aspects of the search for meaning in parental bereavement--the search for cognitive mastery and the search for renewed purpose. One hundred and seventy-six bereaved parents answered…
This follow-up study examined how bereaved couples' grief reactions change over time and how the quality of the marriage can predict these reactions for men and women. A group of 31 bereaved couples who 2 to 4 years earlier had lost an infant (…
In most industrialized countries today, the death of a child is a rare phenomenon. When it occurs, however, it is usually within a hospital setting, after the child has received complex and often long-term medical care aimed at curing or controlling…
To contribute to a better understanding of the utility of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90R; L. Derogatis, 1983) with bereaved samples, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on SCL-90R responses of 97 parents 2 years after the death of…
Forty-seven mothers and 33 fathers, representing 48 families, participated in a propective longitudinal study of the effects on family members of a child's dying. The purpose of this article is to describe parents' health during the terminal illness…
While chronic illness has a profound impact upon the individual, an immense burden is imposed upon the family. When the competing demands of an illness and the family escalate exponentially, there may be a crisis. Traditionally, crisis theory has…
A diagnosis of childhood cancer is an unexpected life event that often precipitates a situational crisis for all family members. Required cancer treatments and other ongoing stressors for both child and family will significantly disrupt the family's…
Advances in the treatment of childhood diseases have created a population of technology-dependent and medically fragile children whose life expectancy is unknown and whose future quality of life is unpredictable. Seven commonly occurring events were…
A retrospective, qualitative, preliminary study examined if parental involvement in a life-support withdrawal (LSW) decision impacts the perceptions and adjustment of parents whose child died in a pediatric critical care unit. Participants were…
The death of an adolescent is a particularly complex issue. The process of grieving and coping can be complicated by the tension that may have existed in the parent/child relationship because of the conflict in terms of personal ideology at this…
This study of 124 parents of children diagnosed with cancer investigates parents' perceptions of their role in the illness situation. The study found that mothers and fathers differ in their experience of and response to parenting a child with…
This study examines parental perceptions of the importance of grandparents as providers of routine care to children with disabilities and the impact of such assistance on parental well-being. Data are drawn from a survey and follow-up interactive…
