Parental coping in the context of having a child who is facing death: A theoretical framework

Darlington, Anne‐Sophie; Korones, David N.; Norton, Sally A.

doi:10.1017/s1478951517000463

Cited by 17 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Instead they form a continuum and the most dominant of these key concepts alter according to the demands at a given time [18,20,21,27]. Also, effective coping is defined by a process of alternating between two or more different coping strategies, depending on the demands at a specific time [72]. If HCPs could determine, in what stage parents were at a given time, or with which processes they experience difficulties, the appropriate components of intervention to aid that process could be selected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a child dies: a systematic review of well-defined parent-focused bereavement interventions and their alignment with grief- and loss theories

et al. 2020

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Background: The availability of interventions for bereaved parents have increased. However, most are practice based. To enhance the implementation of bereavement care for parents, an overview of interventions which are replicable and evidence-based are needed. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of well-defined bereavement interventions, focused on the parents, and delivered by regular health care professionals. Also, we explore the alignment between the interventions identified and the concepts contained in theories on grief in order to determine their theoretical evidence base. Method: A systematic review was conducted using the methods PALETTE and PRISMA. The search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL. We included articles containing well-defined, replicable, paediatric bereavement interventions, focused on the parent, and performed by regular health care professionals. We excluded interventions on pathological grief, or interventions performed by healthcare professionals specialised in bereavement care. Quality appraisal was evaluated using the risk of bias, adapted risk of bias, or COREQ. In order to facilitate the evaluation of any theoretical foundation, a synthesis of ten theories about grief and loss was developed showing five key concepts: anticipatory grief, working models or plans, appraisal processes, coping, and continuing bonds. Results: Twenty-one articles were included, describing fifteen interventions. Five overarching components of intervention were identified covering the content of all interventions. These were: the acknowledgement of parenthood and the child's life; establishing keepsakes; follow-up contact; education and information, and; remembrance activities. The studies reported mainly on how to conduct, and experiences with, the interventions, but not on their effectiveness. Since most interventions lacked empirical evidence, they were evaluated against the key theoretical concepts which showed that all the components of intervention had a theoretical base.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a child dies: a systematic review of well-defined parent-focused bereavement interventions and their alignment with grief- and loss theories

et al. 2020

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“…For parents, effective coping with loss an grief comprises a flexible alternation of coping strategies. 23,34,35 Feelings of grief can be expressed in many forms such as fear, anger or sadness, which are normal reactions to having a child facing the end-of-life. These feelings are tied to the nature of palliative care, while HCPs experience a need to respond to or to 'solve' certain emotions.…”

Section: J O U R N a L P R E -P R O O Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Care Professionals' Experiences With Preloss Care in Pediatrics: Goals, Strategies, Obstacles, and Facilitators

Kochen

Boelen

Teunissen

et al. 2021

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

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“…The premise in the current manuscript is that the gradual recognition of the child's death requires a range of coping behaviours and cognitions from parents. Traditional models of coping may not adequately describe patients and caregivers unique experiences 15,16 . In a current theoretical the framework, 16 the constructs of approach and avoidance are centrally important: it is posited that avoidance, while often characterised as a negative coping strategy, 17 allows parents respite from the cognitive and emotional burden 18 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditional models of coping may not adequately describe patients and caregivers unique experiences 15,16 . In a current theoretical the framework, 16 the constructs of approach and avoidance are centrally important: it is posited that avoidance, while often characterised as a negative coping strategy, 17 allows parents respite from the cognitive and emotional burden 18 . The hypothesises are the following: (a) parental coping under these circumstances is exemplified by avoidance and as well as approach focused coping, (b) parents employ coping strategies for themselves as well as for others and (c) parents employ several coping strategies simultaneously 16 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Palliative and end of life care for a child: Understanding parents’ coping strategies

et al. 2020

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Aim Understanding of coping strategies that parents use before the death of their child is crucial and will enable us to best provide support. The current study aimed to explore parents’ coping strategies, and map these onto an existing theoretical framework. Methods Bereaved parents and parents of a child with a life‐limiting/threatening condition were interviewed to investigate coping strategies, recruited through Intensive Care Units (2 Neonatal, 2 Paediatric, 1 Paediatric Cardiac) and a children's hospice. Analysis focused on coping strategies and mapping these onto the framework. Results 24 parents of 20 children were interviewed and identified. Parents use a variety of coping strategies (n = 25) such as humour, staying positive, advocating and staying strong for others, expressing emotions and preparing, while also living life to the full, supported by others. The themes were successfully mapped onto the theoretical framework, which focuses on the constructs of approach and avoidance, as well as coping for self and others. Conclusion The findings have provided a detailed account of the breadth and depth of coping strategies parents use, including those classed as avoidance. The strategies were successfully mapped onto the theoretical framework. Future research should investigate changes over times, and associations to negative long‐term outcomes.

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Parental coping in the context of having a child who is facing death: A theoretical framework

Abstract: Understanding of parental coping strategies is essential for health professionals in order to support parents effectively.

Cited by 17 publications

References 78 publications

When a child dies: a systematic review of well-defined parent-focused bereavement interventions and their alignment with grief- and loss theories

When a child dies: a systematic review of well-defined parent-focused bereavement interventions and their alignment with grief- and loss theories

Health Care Professionals' Experiences With Preloss Care in Pediatrics: Goals, Strategies, Obstacles, and Facilitators

Palliative and end of life care for a child: Understanding parents’ coping strategies

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