Factors During a Child's Illness Are Associated With Levels of Prolonged Grief Symptoms in Bereaved Mothers and Fathers
Humans; Adolescent; Child; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Attitude to Death; grief; Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Parent-Child Relations; Mothers/psychology; Neoplasms/*psychology; Parents/*psychology; Fathers/psychology
PURPOSE: Previous research shows that bereaved parents are at an increased risk for intense and prolonged grief responses. To offer effective support to parents during a child's cancer treatment and after their child's death, more knowledge is needed about factors related to the child's illness trajectory that may contribute to prolonged grief in bereaved parents and about possible sex differences related to such factors. Therefore, we examined possible contributing factors associated with prolonged grief in cancer-bereaved mothers and fathers 1 to 5 years after their child died of cancer. METHODS: We studied data from a population-based nationwide survey, including 133 mothers and 92 fathers who had lost a child to cancer 1 to 5 years earlier, using univariable and multiple regression analyses to assess the associations between prolonged grief and possible contributing variables. RESULTS: The variables associated with lower levels of prolonged grief symptoms for mothers were being able to talk about feelings within the family (P = .00) and trusting that health care professionals made every possible effort to cure the child (P = .01). The statistically significantly associated variables for fathers were having said farewell to the deceased child in the way they wanted (P = .00) and feeling that they had received practical support from health care professionals during the child's illness trajectory (P = .01). CONCLUSION: We found factors during the illness of children with cancer that contributed to prolonged grief for parents; these were different for mothers and fathers. The results may have implications for design of family bereavement support within pediatric oncology care, including addressing the differing needs of mothers and fathers more effectively.
Pohlkamp L; Kreicbergs U; Sveen J
Journal of Clinical Oncology
2020
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1200/jco.19.01493" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1200/jco.19.01493</a>
Parents' attitudes towards a difficult situation resulting from the chronic disease of their child
Adaptation; Adolescent; Adult; Attitude to Health; Child; children; chronic disease; Chronic Disease/*psychology; difficult situation; Disabled Persons/psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; paediatric patient; parental attitudes; parents; Parents/*psychology; Poland; Preschool; Psychological
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The family is a reliable and permanent source of support for every human being. It is the key link in the welfare system. The aim of the study is to assess parents' attitudes towards the occurrence of a difficult situation resulting from a child's chronic illness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved randomly selected parents of children with chronic diseases (N=107). The study was carried out at the Dental Clinic of the 'Little Prince' Children's Hospice in Lublin. RESULTS: The study revealed that for parents a difficult life situation is mainly associated with the disability of a family member or a friend, whereas the action approach is the most frequently chosen attitude towards a child's chronic disease. In the examined group of parents, a significant correlation was observed between the age of the parents and the choice of a specific parental attitude towards the child's chronic disease (in terms of intellectual approach). However, no significant correlations were found between the parents' place of residence and the choice of a specific parental attitude towards the chronic disease of a child. CONCLUSIONS: During the diagnosis of chronically ill children, parents should also be educated in this regard. Therapy and psychological help, as well as directing parents to relevant support groups, organizations or associations, will prove immensely valuable while coping with a difficult life situation.
Guz E; Brodowicz-Król M; Kulbaka E; Bartoszuk-Popko M; Lutomski P
Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine
2020
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/119085" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.26444/aaem/119085</a>
Welcoming expertise: Bereaved parents' perceptions of the parent-healthcare provider relationship when a critically ill child is admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit
Adult; Bereavement; Child; child and family wishes; Critical Illness -- Singapore; Death; Female; Grounded theory; Grounded Theory; health personnel attitude; Hospital Mortality; Hospitalized; Humans; Intensive care unit-paediatric; Intensive care units pediatric; Interviews as Topic; Male; Nurse; Parents; Parents/*psychology; Pediatric; Professional-Family Relations; Victoria
BACKGROUND: Entering the paediatric intensive care unit with a critically ill child is a stressful experience for parents. In addition to fearing for their child's well-being, parents must navigate both a challenging environment and numerous new relationships with healthcare staff. How parents form relationships with staff and how they perceive both their own and the healthcare providers' roles in this early stage of their paediatric intensive care journey is currently unknown. PURPOSE: This paper explores bereaved parents' perceptions of their role and their relationships with healthcare providers when their child is admitted to the intensive care unit, as part of a larger study exploring their experiences when their child dies in intensive care. METHODS: A constructivist grounded theory approach was utilised to recruit 26 bereaved parents from 4 Australian intensive care units. Parents participated in audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews lasting 90-150min. All data were analysed using the constant comparative analysis processes, supported by theoretical memos. RESULTS: Upon admission, parents viewed healthcare providers as experts, both of their child's medical care and of the hospital system. This expertise was welcomed, with the parent-healthcare provider relationship developing around the child's need for medical care. Parents engaged in 2 key behaviours in their relationships with staff: prioritising survival, and learning 'the system'. Within each of these behaviours are several subcategories, including 'Stepping back', 'Accepting restrictions' and 'Deferring to medical advice'. CONCLUSIONS: The relationships between parents and staff shift and change across the child's admission and subsequent death in the paediatric intensive care unit. However, upon admission, this relationship centres around the child's potential survival and their need for medical care, and the parent's recognition of the healthcare staff as experts of both the child's care and the hospital system.
Butler A E; Copnell B; Hall H
Australian Critical Care
2019
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2017.09.004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1016/j.aucc.2017.09.004</a>
Children's and Parents' Conceptualization of Quality of Life in Children With Brain Tumors: A Meta-Ethnographic Exploration
adaptation; Adaptation; Adolescent; Anthropology; Brain Neoplasms/*psychology; cancer; Child; children; coping; Cultural; enduring; experiences; Female; health; Humans; illness and disease; Infant; lived experience; Male; meta-ethnogrpahy; metasynthesis; Method: interpretive methods; Parents/*psychology; Preschool; Psychological; psychosocial aspects; Qualitative Research; qualitative. Geographic: Taiwan; quality of life; Quality of Life/*psychology; resilience; Resilience; resistance; survivorship; Young Adult
The concept of quality of life (QoL) is used in consultations to plan the care and treatment of children and young people (CYP) with brain tumors (BTs). The way in which CYP, their parents, and their health care professionals (HCP) each understand the term has not been adequately investigated. This study aimed to review the current qualitative research on CYP, parents' and clinicians' concepts of QoL for CYP with BTs using meta-ethnography. Six studies were found, which reflected on the concept of QoL in CYP with BTs; all explored the CYP's perspective and one study also touched upon parents' concept. A conceptual model is presented. Normalcy (a "new normal") was found to be the key element in the concept. This study calls for a conception of QoL, which foregrounds normalcy over the more common health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the need to understand the concept from all perspectives and accommodate change over time.
Beecham E; Langner R; Hargrave D; Bluebond-Langner M
Qualitative Health Research
2019
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/1049732318786484" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1177/1049732318786484</a>