Hispanic adolescents coping with parental cancer

Aim  

The aim of this study was to identify the coping strategies Hispanic adolescents employed to deal with parental cancer, looking specifically at how gender and psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety relate to such strategies.     

New understandings of parental grief: literature review

BACKGROUND: Health professionals have a critical role in supporting bereaved parents and rely on models of grief to inform and guide their practice. However, different models, based on fundamentally different theoretical perspectives and research paradigms, do not necessarily reflect the experiences, or particular needs, of bereaved parents. AIM: The aim of this paper is to report a literature review exploring changing theoretical perspectives in relation to parental grief in the United Kingdom and United States of America. METHODS: A literature search was conducted of nursing, medical and social science data bases using the key words bereaved parents, models of grief and theories of grief. This revealed 266 publications, of which 32 were relevant. Contemporary literature has formed the focus of this review but older material has been included to trace how theoretical perspectives on parental grief have evolved over time. FINDINGS: Theoretical perspectives, on which models of grief are based, have evolved continuously over the last century. Also, traditional and new models differ because in that they are rooted in positivistic and non-positivistic research paradigms respectively. The main implications for health professionals are that new models can be applied in practice to support parents in their grief. The literature reflects an Anglo-American cultural perspective and further research is needed to reflect the multicultural diversity of today's multicultural societies. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights fundamental differences between traditional and new models of grief. Traditional models, place emphasis on bereaved people letting go of their emotional relationships with those who have died. In contrast, new models, place emphasis on parents holding on to their relationship with their dead children, and identify therapeutic interventions that support parents in their grief.     

Gender differences in parental grief

Gender differences in grief of parents who lost their child were examined using the Grief Experience Inventory. Participants were 35 bereaved couples who ranged in age from 27 to 73. Results showed that the mothers' scares were signihantly higher than those of fathers on the following scales: Atypical Responses, Despair, Anger/Hostility, Guilt, Loss of Control, Rumination, Deper-sonalization, Somatization, Loss of Vigor, Physical Symptoms, and Optimism/ Despair No significant differences were found on the scales of Denial, Social Desirability, Social Isolation, Death Anxiety, and Loss of Appetite. The potential usefulness of the GEI in helping the bereaved is discussed.     

Exploring parental grief: combining quantitative and qualitative measures

PURPOSE: This study explores parental grief on the death of a child of any age. STUDY DESIGN: The sampling frame for the study consisted of 74 respondents reporting that they experienced the death of a living child. With the exception of standard demographic measures, the quantitative and qualitative items in the instrument were designed specifically for this project. The content validity of the instrument was assessed by a panel of experts on grief. Key quantitative items related to child loss and grief were formatted with between three- and five-point ordinal answer categories. Two types of qualitative items were developed by the authors. The reliability of the instrument designed for this study was not determined. RESULTS: This survey of parents who experienced the death of a child during their lifetime explores and extends current understanding of the complex emotional response of grief. The study offers empirical support for the notion of grief as ongoing in the life of a parent whose child had died. The findings have significant implications for further clinical research supporting studies to explore commonalities in the experience of grieving families regardless of the cause of and time since the death of their child. In addition, the findings may serve to inform the development and provision of services for bereaved parents.     

Interactive grief and coping in the marital dyad

Experiencing the death of one's child has been described as one of the most traumatic events that can occur in adult life. This qualitative study examined the grief resolution process of 27 marital couples after the fetal or infant death of their child. Interactive dynamics in the couples' relationship and ways in which they coped with the effects of the death on themselves individually and as a part of a dyadic system were of central importance. The central focus of this article is on the dyadic context, in which marital partners attempt to meet relational responsibilities as well as their own needs. The pressures of being in a system in which both partners are coping with strong and frequently unfamiliar thoughts and emotions are described. Those factors that lead to conflict and stress during this time are discussed as well as other factors that minimize conflict and reduce stress. Finally, implications of these findings for those working with bereaved parents are presented.     

Interactive grief and coping in the marital dyad

Abstract

Experiencing the death of one's child has been described as one of the most traumatic events that can occur in adult life. This qualitative study examined the grief resolution process of 27 marital couples after the fetal or infant death of their child. Interactive dynamics in the couples' relationship and ways in which they coped with the effects of the death on themselves individually and as a part of a dyadic system were of central importance. The central focus of this article is on the dyadic context, in which marital partners attempt to meet relational responsibilities as well as their own needs. The pressures of being in a system in which both partners are coping with strong and frequently unfamiliar thoughts and emotions are described. Those factors that lead to conflict and stress during this time are discussed as well as other factors that minimize conflict and reduce stress. Finally, implications of these findings for those working with bereaved parents are presented.     

Ethnic differences in pain coping: factor structure of the coping strategies questionnaire and coping strategies questionnaire-revised.

Coping has been examined extensively in the pain literature, although coping instruments have been typically validated in clinical populations with little ethnic diversity. This study examined the factor structure of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) and the CSQ-Revised (CSQ-R) in 650 healthy male and female African American (44%) and white (56%) subjects and explored associations of coping to health and pain-related measures. Factor analyses revealed 6 components for each ethnic group, accounting for comparable amounts of variance and resembling previously reported CSQ subscales. Internal consistency for both ethnic groups was acceptable (0.72-0.91). There were significant main effects for ethnicity on 4 of the CSQ-R scales (P < .05). No ethnic differences in pain or health variables emerged, although when split into high-pain versus minimal-pain groups, differences were revealed on catastrophizing. Results indicate that the factor structure of the CSQ-R in healthy adults is similar to clinical populations and is comparable across African American and white subjects. Group differences on CSQ-R scales suggest potentially important ethnic influences on pain coping. These findings support the use of the CSQ-R to assess coping in African Americans and in healthy young adults. Additional clinical research is needed to determine the practical importance of group differences in pain coping. PERSPECTIVE: Coping has been examined extensively in the pain literature, although coping instruments typically have been validated in clinical populations with little ethnic diversity. This study examines the factor structure of the CSQ-Revised in an ethnically diverse population and supports the use of the CSQ-R to assess coping in African Americans and in healthy young adults.     

Psychosocial factors and coping strategies of adolescents in a rural Pennsylvania high school

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the coping levels of rural adolescents and gender differences of coping strategies and psychosocial factors. To identify the relationships of coping strategies with psychosocial factors of rural adolescents. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 72 students attending a rural high school in southwestern Pennsylvania. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects completed the Coping Response Inventory-Youth (CRI-Y), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED), the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). RESULTS: Significant gender differences were found for psychosocial factors of depression, self-esteem, and anxiety. Several significant relationships were observed between coping strategies and psychosocial factors of rural adolescents. Additionally, using content analysis, seven categories were determined based on the content of the open-ended question on the CRI: familial factors, peer relationships, etc. CONCLUSIONS: These rural adolescents endorsed higher levels of avoidance coping than normative samples. Rural adolescents reported many problems needing proper coping skills in their everyday lives. This study provides information to public health professionals working with rural adolescents that could be used to help them attain more effective coping strategies.     

The relative contributions of examination-taking coping strategies and study coping strategies to test anxiety: A concurrent analysis

Both examination-taking coping strategies and study coping strategies are determinants of test anxiety. This study examines the contributions made by these two types of coping strategies on the anxiety/performance relationship, under two types of examination conditions. Twenty-six graduate students, who were enrolled in an intermediate-level statistics course, were assigned randomly to either an untimed or a timed examination condition. Both types of coping strategies made a significant contribution in explaining variance in test anxiety. Overall, students in the timed condition performed more poorly than did students in the untimed condition. A significant interaction was found between examination-taking coping strategies and examination condition: Students with poor coping strategies did not perform as well in the timed as in the untimed condition. No such interaction was found between study coping strategies and examination condition. The results appear consistent with an information-processing interpretation, which suggests that different processes related to test anxiety affect examination performance. Implications for counselors assisting students with inadequate coping strategies are discussed.     

A normal lifestyle: parental stress and coping in childhood diabetes

This article forms part of an extensive literature review informing a study exploring the parental experience of home management of children with newly diagnosed diabetes. As a diagnosis of childhood diabetes may represent a major stressor event for parents, selected theories and models of stress and coping are discussed. These suggest that, influenced by a variety of interpersonal and environmental factors, parents may approach the process of coping in different ways. Coping strategies employed by parents of children with diabetes elicited from the literature are categorized according to a psychological theory of stress and coping. Normalization, a coping strategy used by parents of chronically ill children, is discussed in relation to childhood diabetes. To conclude, implications for nursing practice are outlined and suggestions made about how parents may be assisted to cope with the demands of having a child with diabetes.     

Night terrors: strategies for family coping

This article discusses the occurrence of night terrors (parvor nocturnus) in children. The characteristics of a typical night terror incident are described, as are the common parental reactions to such frightening events. Nurses who work with children and families need to know about the etiology and clinical course of night terrors. They need to be able to differentiate night terrors from other sleep disturbances and determine possible ways to alleviate the occurrences. This article emphasizes assessment, anticipatory guidance, education, and counseling. A practical guide for parents is included to provide families with information on ways to cope with night terrors.     

Remarriage: parental perceptions of steprelations with children and adolescents

This study was designed to determine if relationships between stepparents and adolescents differed from those between stepparents and younger children. Utilizing a questionnaire developed by Duberman, responses from remarried couples (N-50) were used to determine a steprelationship score for each child. The scores for children under age 13 and 13 and over both at the time of the parental marriage termination and the remarriage were compared. Chi-square techniques were used in the data analysis. No significant differences were found between the two groups. The results of this study suggest that factors, other than the child's age, may influence the steprelationship. Possibilities suggested include unresolved conflicts in the child and/or parents, the child's relationship with one or both natural parents, or the natural parents' relationship. This population merits further research consideration as society attempts to assimilate the growing number of these families.     

Death rituals,religious beliefs,and grief of Turkish women

Grief following a death loss is a common experience that all individuals face at some point in life. There, however, are only a few in-depth studies regarding grief in cultures around the world and specific roles that rituals and beliefs related to death may have in the grieving process. Results of interview data from eight grieving Turkish women revealed three themes: (a) metaphors of loss, (b) funeral rituals, and (c) rituals in relation to control and personal factors. Overall, participants’ sense of control appeared to influence their grief experiences and perceptions of rituals.     

Measuring parental grief after childhood cancer: potential use of the SCL-90R

To contribute to a better understanding of the utility of the Symptom Checklist90-Revised (SCL-90R; L. Derogatis, 1983) with bereaved samples, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on SCL-90R responses of 97 parents 2 years after the death of their child from cancer. The factor analysis revealed one significant factor that accounted for 30% of the variance in this administration. This factor included many items that reflected the theme of somatic complaints. Although generalization of these results should be undertaken cautiously because of the study's nonrandom sample, these findings suggest that physical symptomatology of the bereavement process may account for the major residual symptoms of distress in bereaved parents, at least as assessed by the SCL-90R.     

Perioperative managers: role stressors and strategies for coping

This qualitative study explored the role stressors experienced by perioperative nurse managers, and identified resources and strategies they used in order to cope with the multiple demands upon their role. Grounded Theory methodology was used to inform the inquiry through interviews with the participants and thematic analysis of the data. The perioperative nurse managers who participated in the study indicated that the major stressors they experienced were related to managing their staff Stress was reduced through the use of hospital resources and peer support, referring to post management education and information obtainedfrom attending conferences. In addition, they used team building strategies, balanced priorities and engaged in social activities. These findings will assist directors of nursing and other nursing leaders in formulating the direction of appropriate support and structure for the development of perioperative nurse managers.