Identifying as a Good Parent: Considering the Communication Theory of Identity for Parents of Children Receiving Palliative Care
Adolescence; Child; Communication; Compassion; Conceptual Framework; Coping; Family Centered Care; Male; Palliative Care; Parental Attitudes; Parenting; Parents; Pediatric Care; Personality; Professional-Family Relations; Social Identity; Stress; Support; Theoretical models
Background: Parents of seriously ill children are at risk of psychosocial morbidity, which may be mitigated by competent family-centered communication and role-affirming conversations. Parent caregivers describe a guiding desire to do a good job in their parenting role but also depict struggling under the intense weight of parental duty. Objectives and Design: Through this case study, the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) provides a framework for conceptualizing how palliative care teams can help parents cope with this reality. CTI views communication with care teams as formative in the development and enablement of parental perceptions of their "good parenting" role. Results: Palliative care teams may consider the four frames of identity (personal, enacted, relational, and communal) as meaningful dimensions of the parental pursuit to care well for an ill child. Conclusion: Palliative care teams may consider compassionate communication about parental roles to support the directional virtues of multilayered dynamic parental identity.
Weaver MS; Hinds PS; Kellas JK; Hecht ML
Journal of Palliative Medicine
2021
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/10.1089/jpm.2020.0131" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1089/jpm.2020.0131</a>
Bittersweet: a qualitative exploration of mothers' experiences of raising a single surviving twin
Bereavement; Conceptual Framework; Facebook; Family Coping; Grief; Human; Maternal Attitudes; Maternal Role; Multiple Offspring; Narratives; Parenting; Psychosocial; Qualitative Studies; Self Concept; Social Identity; Support; Surveys; Thematic Analysis; Twins; United Kingdom
Loss of a child from a multiple birth pregnancy is not uncommon yet the idiographic experience of parents who have lost a single twin from a multiple birth pregnancy is underexplored. This novel study sought to explore the experiences of mothers bereaved after loss of a twin from a multiple birth pregnancy, focusing on the dual challenges of parenting and grieving. Eighteen mothers at least 12 months post loss were recruited from a private UK based Facebook page dedicated to supporting parents after loss from a multiple birth. Eligible mothers completed an independent qualitative open-ended survey to explore maternal experiences of loss. Data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Findings represented a sense of duality for participants, with mothers experiencing conflict between roles and identities as well as the nature of their loss. Key themes identified include 'Narrating a story of family and loss', 'Finding a place for the twins within the family' and 'A changing sense of self'. Findings fit with theoretical conceptualisations of bereavement that acknowledge retaining relationships with the deceased. Practically, suggestions for supporting mothers to identify stock answers to often asked questions about family make up were suggested.
Jordan A; Smith P; Rodham K
Psychology, Health & Medicine
2018
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/10.1080/13548506.2018.1434215" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1080/13548506.2018.1434215</a>