Variables associated with grief and personal growth following the death of a child from cancer: A mixed method analysis
bereavement; grief; Mixed methods; oncology; personal growth
This mixed method study explored parent and child characteristics that impact grief and personal growth in parents (n = 119) after a child dies from cancer in Australia. Medical components of a child's cancer care including radiation treatment, referral to palliative care, and location of death had a significant impact on levels of grief. Parents' gender, religious affiliation, and education level had a significant impact on levels of personal growth. This study further enhances our understanding of the impact of specific parent and child characteristics throughout a child's cancer treatment and end of life that may influence their families' experience of bereavement.
Donovan L A; Wakefield C E; Russell V; Fardell J; Mallitt K A; Hetherington K; Cohn R
Death Studies
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/10.1080/07481187.2019.1682087" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1080/07481187.2019.1682087</a>
The Emergence Of Personal Growth Amongst Healthcare Professionals Who Care For Dying Children
Compassion Fatigue; Palliative Care; Pediatrics; Personal Growth; Qualitative Methods
OBJECTIVE: Compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious traumatization are prominent topics in the current literature on the impact of the rewarding but challenging work of healthcare professionals who care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The positive effects of caregiving constitute a newly emerging outcome that has been relatively unexplored in the pediatric literature, and yet they may play an important role in contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of the healthcare professionals who care for children who have a life-limiting illness. METHOD: This paper reports the results of a secondary analysis of qualitative interview transcripts that explored the experiences of hospital-based pediatric healthcare providers caring for children with varied life-limiting illnesses. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 healthcare professionals (9 social workers, 8 nurses, and 8 physicians). The majority of participants were women (80%), with an age range between 20 and 60 years, and most (84%) had the experience of caring for more than 15 dying children. Thematic analysis was conducted using interpretive description and constant comparison. RESULTS: Every healthcare professional interviewed experienced personal growth as a result of their providing care for dying children. Three dimensions of personal growth were most consistently reported: (1) new or altered life perspectives, (2) enhanced personal resources, and (3) benevolence. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: A deeper understanding of the phenomenon of personal growth could help healthcare organizations to implement innovative approaches that would counterbalance compassion fatigue, and thereby enhance both healthcare provider well-being and child and family outcomes.
Beaune L; Muskat B; Anthony SJ
Palliat Support Care
2017
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).
10.1017/s1478951517000396