Early Parental Adjustment and Bereavement After Childhood Cancer Death

• Published in: Death studies Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 497 - 520
• Main Authors: Barrera, Maru, O'Connor, Kathleen, D'Agostino, Norma Mammone, Spencer, Lynlee, Nicholas, David, Jovcevska, Vesna, Tallet, Susan, Schneiderman, Gerald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01-07-2009; Routledge; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adjustment; Adjustment (to Environment); Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Bereavement; Canada; Cancer; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Coping; Death; Death & dying; Fathers - psychology; Foreign Countries; Grief; Health technology assessment; Humans; Identification (Psychology); Infant; Interpersonal Relations; Interpersonal Relationship; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Longitudinal Studies; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; Mothers - psychology; Neoplasms - mortality; Parent Attitudes; Parent Child Relationship; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Parents & parenting; Profiles; Self Concept; Social Networks; Social Support; Stress, Psychological; World Views; Young Adult; Canada
• ISSN: 0748-1187; 1091-7683
• DOI: 10.1080/07481180902961153

This study comprehensively explored parental bereavement and adjustment at 6 months post-loss due to childhood cancer. Interviews were conducted with 18 mothers and 13 fathers. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed based on qualitative methodology. A model describing early parental bereavement and adaptation emerged with 3 domains: Perception of the Child, describing bereavement and adjustment prior to and after the loss; Perception of Others, including relationships with partners, surviving children, and their social network; and Perception of the World, exploring parents' perceived meanings of the experience in the context of their worldview. Domains are illustrated by quotes. Profiles of parental bereavement emerged.