Parental Relationships following the Loss of a Child

Abstract

To enhance understanding of parental relationships following the loss of a child, a questionnaire was sent to members of Norwegian bereavement support organizations. The sample consisted of 175 couples. Using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), we found that an individual's ability to talk to a partner about own feelings positively correlated with fewer problems and higher satisfaction and cohesion in the couples. Couples felt closer to one another following the loss and were pleased with their relationship. Early intervention may help couples navigate the changes necessitated in a relationship by the loss of a child and prevent negative dyadic changes.

Changes in Relationships in Bereaved Families: Perspectives of Mothers Who Lost a Child to Cancer

“…According to Dyregrov and Dyregrov (2017), many bereaved parents experience duality in their relationship in that they feel closer to the spouse due to what they experienced together, but at the same time, they feel distant because of incongruent grieving. Findings regarding whether the loss of a child can be detrimental to or strengthen resilience and cohesion in the couple’s relationship were varied, but they were consistent with previous findings that found increased cohesion and efforts to improve relationship quality among bereaved parents (Albuquerque et al, 2017; Barrera et al, 2009; Dyregrov et al, 2020; Najman et al, 1993). Bereaved parents receive support from each other and find meaning in the loss during their journey (Titus & Souza, 2011).…”

“…In our study, the main reason for the mothers’ anger and disappointment with their marital relationship was due to a lack of communication and grieving together as a couple. When bereaved mothers are unable to share their thoughts and feelings with their spouse, they tend to experience more intense grief reactions over time (Dyregrov & Dyregrov, 2017; Dyregrov et al, 2020). Toller and Braithwaite (2009) confirmed that bereaved parents often experience a dialectical contradiction in their relationship, such that they want to grieve their child’s death together with their spouse, but they also need time and space for individual grief.…”

Experiences of Norwegian Mothers Attending an Online Course of Therapeutic Writing Following the Unexpected Death of a Child

“…Although the emotional impact of the unexpected death of a child has been widely documented, there are few specific protocols for how to provide emotional support to parents in general and mothers in particular (Corno et al, 2020). If bereaved parents do not receive appropriate support and followup, they can experience fatigue, negative body-image, sick leave, unemployment, marital problems, and substance abuse, among other detrimental health and wellbeing outcomes (Burden et al, 2016;Dyregrov et al, 2020). Despite these known harmful effects, there are limited services to provide bereaved parents with the support they need.…”

End-of-life and palliative care in paediatric care settings

“…Although focusing on the parental relationship following the loss of a child, a recent study of bereaved parents in Norway found that while most couples felt they could talk about their feelings with their partners and were satisfied with the support they received, mothers felt less understood than fathers and fathers felt greater responsibility for caring for their partner following their loss (Dyregrov, Gjestad, & Dyregrov, 2020). This highlights that mothers and fathers may respond to and cope with loss differently and need different types of support surrounding the loss of a child (Alburquerque et al, 2016).…”