Belonging to a Community of Care: Mothers' Experiences of Online Peer Support Groups for Parents Having Lost a Child with Congenital Heart Defects
Child death; mother grief; peer support; parent support
The aim was to study mothers' experiences of online peer support groups after the death of a child. Participants (Nā=ā8) were recruited through a newsletter for the Swedish association for families/children with heart defects, and two closed support groups on Facebook (900 and 100 members) and interviewed by telephone. Transcripts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The groups were available around the clock, regardless of support need, and mothers joined both to receive and provide support. Participation in online peer support groups may provide a sense of belonging to a caring community and serve as a valuable complement to healthcare.
Klarare A; Carlsson T; Mattsson E
Death Studies
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/10.1080/07481187.2020.1850548" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1080/07481187.2020.1850548</a>
Complexity of Medication Regimens for Children With Neurological Impairment
children with neurologic impairment; complex medication regimens; Cross-Sectional Studies; Parent support
IMPORTANCE: Parents of children with severe neurological impairment (SNI) manage complex medication regimens (CMRs) at home, and clinicians can help support parents and simplify CMRs. OBJECTIVE: To measure the complexity and potentially modifiable aspects of CMRs using the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and to examine the association between MRCI scores and subsequent acute visits. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020, at a single-center, large, hospital-based, complex care clinic. Participants were children with SNI aged 1 to 18 years and 5 or more prescribed medications. EXPOSURE: Home medication regimen complexity was assessed using MRCI scores. The total MRCI score is composed of 3 subscores (dosage form, dose frequency, and specialized instructions). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Patient-level counts of subscore characteristics and additional safety variables (total doses per day, high-alert medications, and potential drug-drug interactions) were analyzed by MRCI score groups (low, medium, and high score tertiles). Associations between MRCI score groups and acute visits were tested using Poisson regression, adjusted for age, complex chronic conditions, and recent health care use. RESULTS: Of 123 patients, 73 (59.3%) were male with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 9 (5-13) years. The median (IQR) MRCI scores were 46 (35-61 [range, 8-139]) overall, 29 (24-35) for the low MRCI group, 46 (42-50) for the medium MRCI group, and 69 (61-78) for the high MRCI group. The median (IQR) counts for the subscores were 6 (4-7) dosage forms per patient, 7 (5-9) dose frequencies per patient, and 5 (4-8) instructions per patient, with counts increasing significantly across higher MRCI groups. Similar trends occurred for total daily doses (median [IQR], 31 [20-45] doses), high-alert medications (median [IQR], 3 [1-5] medications), and potential drug-drug interactions (median [IQR], 3 [0-6] interactions). Incidence rate ratios of 30-day acute visits were 1.26 times greater (95% CI, 0.57-2.78) in the medium MRCI group vs the low MRCI group and 2.42 times greater (95% CI, 1.10-5.35) in the high MRCI group vs the low MRCI group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Higher MRCI scores were associated with multiple dose frequencies, complicated by different dosage forms and instructions, and associated with subsequent acute visits. These findings suggest that clinical interventions to manage CMRs could target various aspects of these regimens, such as the simplification of dosing schedules.
Feinstein JA; Friedman H; Orth LE; Feudtner C; Kempe A; Samay S; Blackmer AB
JAMA Network Open
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/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.22818" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.22818</a>
You are at rock bottom: A qualitative systematic review of the needs of bereaved parents as they journey through the death of their child to cancer
social support; pediatric cancer; parental experience; meaning making; emotional support; parent support; practical support
Problem Identification: This systematic review will examine the social support needs of bereaved parents in the specific context of pediatric cancer by synthesizing the qualitative evidence. Social support encompasses emotional, practical, informational, and meaning-making support needs.Literature Search: The Joanna Briggs Institute procedures for conducting qualitative systematic reviews guided every stage of this review. Four databases (PsychInfo, CINAHL, Pubmed, and ASSIA) were systematically searched, in addition to the gray literature and scoping review. Through a five-step critical appraisal process 11 out of 668 potential articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria.Data Evaluation/Synthesis: Relevant findings were synthesized with a thematic-synthesis approach. Findings, which follow the journey of bereaved parents integrated under the core-category "Needs." This encompasses of four higher-level categories: Last days: Parent needs when caring for their dying childRest in peace: Parent needs during the child's deathFeeling abandoned: Parent needs for contact after the child's deathSearching for Meaning: Parents needs when making sense of lossConclusion: Informational support needs is largely unexplored in academic literature. Staff in the treating-hospital are central in offering bereavement-support to parents, who may otherwise feel that they have lost their second home (hospital) and second family (staff).
Kenny M; Darcy-Bewick S; Martin A; Eustace-Cook J; Hilliard C; Clinton F; Storey L; Coyne I; Murray K; Duffy K; Fortune G; Smith O; Higgins A; Hynes G
Journal of Psychosocial 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/10.1080/07347332.2020.1762822" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1080/07347332.2020.1762822</a>