BACKGROUND: Prior research has demonstrated that the presence of regret and unfinished business is associated with poorer adjustment in bereavement. Though there is a growing literature on these constructs among caregivers of adult patients, the literature on regret and unfinished business in bereaved parents has been limited. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine regret and unfinished business in parents bereaved by cancer, as well as their associations with caregiving experiences and prolonged grief. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study that utilized self-report questionnaires with open-ended items. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The multisite study took place at a tertiary cancer hospital and pediatric cancer clinical research institution. Participants were 118 parents (mothers = 82, fathers = 36) who lost a child aged 6 months to 25 years to cancer between 6 months and 6 years prior. RESULTS: Results showed that 73% of the parents endorsed regret and 33% endorsed unfinished business, both of which were more common among mothers than fathers (p ⩽ 0.05). Parents were on average moderately distressed by their regrets and unfinished business, and both regret-related and unfinished business-related distress were associated with distress while caregiving and prolonged grief symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings have implications for how providers work with families, including increasing treatment decision-making support, supporting parents in speaking to their child about illness, and, in bereavement, validating choices made. Grief interventions that use cognitive-behavioral and meaning-centered approaches may be particularly beneficial.
BACKGROUND: Prior research has demonstrated that the presence of regret and unfinished business is associated with poorer adjustment in bereavement. Though there is a growing literature on these constructs among caregivers of adult patients, the literature on regret and unfinished business in bereaved parents has been limited. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine regret and unfinished business in parents bereaved by cancer, as well as their associations with caregiving experiences and prolonged grief. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study that utilized self-report questionnaires with open-ended items. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The multisite study took place at a tertiary cancer hospital and pediatric cancer clinical research institution. Participants were 118 parents (mothers = 82, fathers = 36) who lost a child aged 6 months to 25 years to cancer between 6 months and 6 years prior. RESULTS: Results showed that 73% of the parents endorsed regret and 33% endorsed unfinished business, both of which were more common among mothers than fathers (p ⩽ 0.05). Parents were on average moderately distressed by their regrets and unfinished business, and both regret-related and unfinished business-related distress were associated with distress while caregiving and prolonged grief symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings have implications for how providers work with families, including increasing treatment decision-making support, supporting parents in speaking to their child about illness, and, in bereavement, validating choices made. Grief interventions that use cognitive-behavioral and meaning-centered approaches may be particularly beneficial.
Authors: Suzanne E J Kaal; Noortje M J Kuijken; Constant A H H V M Verhagen; Rosemarie Jansen; Petra Servaes; Winette T A van der Graaf Journal: J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol Date: 2015-12-01 Impact factor: 2.223
Authors: Margaret Stroebe; Wolfgang Stroebe; Rens van de Schoot; Henk Schut; Georgios Abakoumkin; Jie Li Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-05-12 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Lori Wiener; Sima Bedoya; Haven Battles; Leonard Sender; Keri Zabokrtsky; Kristine A Donovan; Lora M A Thompson; Barbara B Lubrano di Ciccone; Margarita Bobonis Babilonia; Karen Fasciano; Paige Malinowski; Maureen Lyon; Jessica Thompkins; Corey Heath; Denise Velazquez; Karen Long-Traynor; Abigail Fry; Maryland Pao Journal: Palliat Support Care Date: 2022-08
Authors: Ursula M Sansom-Daly; Lori Wiener; Anne-Sophie Darlington; Hanneke Poort; Abby R Rosenberg; Meaghann S Weaver; Fiona Schulte; Antoinette Anazodo; Celeste Phillips; Louise Sue; Anthony R Herbert; Jennifer W Mack; Toni Lindsay; Holly Evans; Claire E Wakefield Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-07-08 Impact factor: 3.752
Authors: Sima Z Bedoya; Abigail Fry; Mallorie L Gordon; Maureen E Lyon; Jessica Thompkins; Karen Fasciano; Paige Malinowski; Corey Heath; Leonard Sender; Keri Zabokrtsky; Maryland Pao; Lori Wiener Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2022-06-08