'FRET NO MORE MY CHILD… FOR I'M ALL OVER HEAVEN ALL DAY': RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN THE BEREAVEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN,MIDDLE-AGED DAUGHTERS COPING WITH THE DEATH OF AN ELDERLY MOTHER

This article examines the ways in which religious beliefs of 30 African American, middle-aged daughters help them cope with the death of their elderly mothers. This qualitative, exploratory study found that daughters use their beliefs to move through states of grief that allow them to prepare, relinquish control, accept death, and maintain a connection to their mothers beyond death. Important themes identified in this study include the belief in an afterlife and the reunification of family members there. Findings suggest that religious beliefs provide a means for adult daughters to cope with the tasks of living in the present yet maintain a tie with their deceased mothers that serves to enhance their religious beliefs and fortitude in daily living.     

Balancing relationship and discipline: the pressing concern of mothers of early-adolescent girls.

Mothers of early-adolescent girls (10-14 years) often experience difficulties in dealing with their daughters. This study explored the mother-daughter relationship from the perspective of the mothers, to identify their most pressing concern and the strategies that might help them address this concern. A qualitative design employing a feminist participatory approach was used with 2 groups of mothers living in low socioeconomic status (SES) areas of a small city in Ontario, Canada, over a 10-week period. The most pressing concern of both groups was balancing relationship and discipline. Through the use of questioning to explore their issues, the mothers gained the reassurance, knowledge, skill, and confidence to deal with their daughters. This introductory study should contribute to nurses' understanding of the mother-daughter relationship during adolescence, and it offers a small-group strategy that shows promise in assisting mothers to address their concerns.     

Attitude of Israeli mothers with vaccination of their daughters against human papilloma virus

The purpose of the study is to examine whether the model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) succeeds in predicting mothers' intention to vaccinate their daughters against the human papilloma virus infection. Questionnaires were distributed among convenience sample of 103 mothers of daughters 18 years and younger. Approximately 65% of mothers intend to vaccinate their daughters. Behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and level of knowledge had a significant positive effect on mothers' intention to vaccinate their daughters. High levels of religiosity were found to negatively affect mothers' intention to vaccinate their daughters. The TRA combined with level of knowledge and level of religiosity succeeds in predicting mothers' behavioral intentions regarding vaccinating daughters. This indicates the significance of nurses' roles in imparting information and increasing awareness among mothers.     

Mother-daughter relationships expressed in the food context of postpartum convalescence --- findings from a preliminary study

The aim of this study was to explore mother-daughter interaction as represented by provision of food during the traditional month-long postpartum convalescence. The clinical field research method was employed. A convenience sample of three pairs of mothers and postpartum daughters were recruited from a medical center. Data from recorded interviews were analyzed. Content analysis was applied to analyze the interaction between the mothers and daughters. The study demonstrated that the mothers exhibited caring behavior toward their daughters during this period. The postpartum daughters reacted to their mothers with approach, nostalgia, and appreciation behaviors. The results of this study deserve the cognitive recognition of nurses, so that they can be aware of and respect the indigenous beliefs and practices that link the events of childbearing, the health status of women, and family relationships especially between the woman and her own mother in order to provide better maternity care for postpartum women.     

Religiosity and coping in mothers of children diagnosed with cancer: an exploratory analysis.

Although several factors related to coping in parents of children diagnosed with cancer have been explored, little is known about their religious beliefs and behavior and its relationship to coping. The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary data on the religious beliefs and behaviors of mothers of children with cancer and the relation to their psychological adjustment. Twenty-seven mothers of children diagnosed with cancer completed several measures of religious beliefs and behaviors as well as the Beck Depression Inventory-II. The sample was highly religious and specifically Christian. Thirty percent of the mothers reported elevated levels of depressive symptoms, and these mothers reported lower levels of religious belief and behavior than the mothers who denied depressive symptoms. These data suggest a relationship between religiosity and positive coping behavior that should continue to be explored.     

Religion and coping with serious medical illness

OBJECTIVE: To review and discuss some of the research published in the last several decades that has addressed the role that religion plays in helping patients cope with serious medical illness. DATA SOURCES: Although this is not a systematic review of the literature, it provides a sampling of the studies that have examined the relationship between religious involvement, coping with illness, and health outcomes. This sampling of studies reflects the findings of a much larger systematic review of research (MEDLINE, Current Contents, Psychlit, Soclit, HealthStar, Cancerlit, CINAHL, and others) during the past century that was recently completed by the authors. DATA EXTRACTION: Epidemiologic studies published in the English-language literature were reviewed and discussed. DATA SYNTHESIS: A number of well-designed cross-sectional and prospective studies have examined the relationship between religious beliefs and activities and adaptation to physical illness in patients with general medical conditions, neurologic disorders, heart disease, renal failure, AIDS, and a host of other physical disorders. This review demonstrates the widespread use of religion in coping with medical illness and provides circumstantial evidence for the possible benefits of this lifestyle factor. CONCLUSIONS: When people become physically ill, many rely heavily on religious beliefs and practices to relieve stress, retain a sense of control, and maintain hope and their sense of meaning and purpose in life. Religious involvement appears to enable the sick, particularly those with serious and disabling medical illness, to cope better and experience psychological growth from their negative health experiences, rather than be defeated or overcome by them.     

Adult burn patients: the role of religion in recovery

Patients who have had a severe physical injury, such as a burn, show wide variations in their abilities to cope with the stress of hospitalization and recovery. Clinical experience has consistently shown that some of these patients have remarkable emotional resilience, while others are more seriously affected. Many researchers have attempted to understand these variations in hope of finding ways to enhance the recovery process and to improve long-term outcome. Previous research shows that when burn patients are given the opportunity to talk about what helps them cope, they frequently credit their religious faith or God. We emphasize the importance of understanding the relationship between patients' religious beliefs and their ability to deal with the stress of a traumatic injury.     

Paternal and maternal coping with the death of a child

Parents' coping strategies in dealing with a child's death and gender differences in coping were studied. Twenty-five married couples who lost their child were interviewed and given an instrument to ascertain their coping strategies. Five major coping strategies used by parents were: seeking the release of tension, avoiding painful thoughts and feelings, using a cognitive framework to understand and deal with the experience of loss, helping others, and relying on religious beliefs. Parents found it necessary not only to release their emotional tension, but also to prevent themselves from becoming preoccupied with their trauma by keeping busy and avoiding reminders. Parents also attempted to overcome their grief by gaining an understanding of their experience through reading and by focusing their thoughts on the positive. Helping others directed parents' attention away from their grief while contributing to a belief that something worthwhile had resulted from their child's death. Religious faith gave parents strength and helped them maintain hope. Other strategies included seeking support through groups, seeking relief from pain, investing themselves in a new object of love, seeking professional help, staying alone, and visiting the cemetery. Several statistically significant gender differences in coping were identified. Mothers were found to cry, read, and write on loss and grief, help others, and stay alone to a greater degree than fathers. Reading and writing were coping strategies used primarily by mothers.     

Paternal and maternal coping with the death of a child

Abstract

Parents' coping strategies in dealing with a child's death and gender differences in coping were studied. Twenty-five married couples who lost their child were interviewed and given an instrument to ascertain their coping strategies. Five major coping strategies used by parents were: seeking the release of tension, avoiding painful thoughts and feelings, using a cognitive framework to understand and deal with the experience of loss, helping others, and relying on religious beliefs. Parents found it necessary not only to release their emotional tension, but also to prevent themselves from becoming preoccupied with their trauma by keeping busy and avoiding reminders. Parents also attempted to overcome their grief by gaining an understanding of their experience through reading and by focusing their thoughts on the positive. Helping others directed parents' attention away from their grief while contributing to a belief that something worthwhile had resulted from their child's death. Religious faith gave parents strength and helped them maintain hope. Other strategies included seeking support through groups, seeking relief from pain, investing themselves in a new object of love, seeking professional help, staying alone, and visiting the cemetery. Several statistically significant gender differences in coping were identified. Mothers were found to cry, read, and write on loss and grief, help others, and stay alone to a greater degree than fathers. Reading and writing were coping strategies used primarily by mothers.     

Cross-cultural beliefs, ceremonies, and rituals surrounding death of a loved one

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe practices surrounding death of a loved one by European, Asian, Caribbean, Central American, and South American families living in the United States. A focus group with 14 masters nursing students from a wide variety of cultural and religious backgrounds was conducted to gain a better understanding of the beliefs, ceremonies, and rituals surrounding death. Many commonalties were found across cultures and religions. A pervasive theme was that beliefs about the soul of the deceased lead families to perform rituals and ceremonies that foster passage to God, the "light," or another life. The stronger their beliefs, the more dedicated the family is in completing the rituals and ceremonies in the way dictated by their religion or culture. Participants had difficulty separating the influence of culture and religion on these practices.     

Communicating with dying children and their siblings: A retrospective analysis

Recognition that children over age 4 with fatal illnesses generally anticipate their death has prompted more open communication between them and the adults caring for them. We investigated factors influencing the extent and success of such communication between parents, dying children, and their siblings, using data provided by 77 mothers who are members of the Compassionate Friends organization.

We found that those mothers who talked more freely with dying children also did so with the siblings and that communication was more open with older than with younger children. This dialogue was most helpful for both the dying children and their siblings if the former were mostly at home immediately before death, if there was extensive and specific discussion about death and dying, when a parent was the major discussant, and if the family's religious faith was also a significant source of support.

Following such discussions the emotional state of the dying children and the siblings contrasted markedly, with the latter showing significantly more sadness, anger, denial, and fear. We found that most mothers had apparently recovered well from their bereavement and that this recovery correlated with having been helped by their religious faith, having been the main discussants with the children about death, and with having the child away from home the greater part of the terminal phase. Recovery from bereavement was also better among those mothers whose dying children had been better adjusted emotionally.

We recommend that health professionals use all appropriate resources to encourage early, full, and candid discussions between dying children, their siblings, and their families.     

A qualitative investigation of the palliative care needs of terminally ill people who live alone

This paper investigates the support needs of people living alone with a terminal illness from a client perspective. In depth, interviews were conducted with 11 clients from Silver Chain Hospice Care in Western Australia to capture their personal experiences of managing at home alone and to assess their physical, social and emotional needs. Findings provided useful insights with respect to many of the motivations, beliefs and wishes of individuals who endeavour to cope on their own with minimal assistance. The needs of these individuals are practical, emotional, physical and existential. At the heart of these concerns is a strong need to be independent and maintain a sense of dignity at end of life.     

Negotiating "Doing the month": an ethnographic study examining the postnatal practices of two generations of Chinese women

In Chinese society, the specific set of postnatal practices called "doing the month" constitutes an integrated set of postnatal behaviors that provides cultural and maternal protection and identity. This study examines the cultural practice of "doing the month" by Chinese mothers for two generations of matrilineal datasets. Ethnographic interviews were undertaken with new mothers and their mother and/or mother-in-law. Then, the coded data were compared within matrilineal dyads, as well as within age cohorts. The new mothers highlighted a range of attitudinal and behavioral practices that was informed and enforced by the female family members. They found highly individualized ways of negotiating traditional practices. In contrast, their mothers and mothers-in-law testified to a custom-bound approach. Support from family members appeared to be instrumental and was underscored by traditional notions of filial duty in the older generation of mothers. In comparison, their daughters and daughters-in-law indicated more autonomously directed behaviors. Recommendations are made in order to provide healthcare professionals with a more-informed understanding of Chinese postnatal belief systems.     

Mothers and daughters: a powerful spell

An unanticipated finding of a small exploratory study of the health of never-married women in old age is discussed. Focused conversational interviews yielded evidence of the potent effect the mother-daughter relationship had in a group of women who had lived for all their adult lives in the parental home. Usually mothers had outlived fathers, and when they finally died daughters lost someone to whom they had been very close and at the same time had to cope with living alone for the first time in their lives. Three case histories, illustrating both strong positive and negative aspects of mother-daughter relationships are reported, and the psychological and sociological literature is explored. Parallels are also drawn with biographical and autobiographical literature about this type of relationship, including that of Florence Nightingale and her mother. Finally, some implications for nurses are considered and the special support needs of these women at bereavement and in old age are highlighted.     

‘Mum's the Word!': Maternal Accounts of Dealings with the Professional World

Background This paper describes a study of one aspect of the lives of mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. It focuses on their perspectives of their dealings with the professional and service worlds. Much attention has been given in recent years to developing and co‐ordinating a multiprofessional and multiagency network of support around families. Although such aims can be seen as beneficial for families, there is also good reason to expect these to present problematic experiences for family carers. Methods Data are presented and analysed in this paper on mothers' perceptions of their dealings with professionals. The sample consisted of 30 mothers of young people with intellectual disabilities. The data were obtained by qualitative interviews. Results and discussion Overall, the study confirmed that mothers' dealings with professionals were highly problematic for them. They felt that such encounters could be based upon conflict and that their worth and character as mothers were being continually scrutinized. However, the data show that mothers were willing to challenge professional perspectives of their children and their needs. They embraced advocacy for their sons and daughters as part‐and‐parcel of being a mother. However, in doing so, they were much more hesitant and reluctant to raise any needs and aspirations for their own lives. They fear that in giving these voice, they could be seen and typified as selfish mothers. That is, their struggles to be taken as advocates for their sons and daughters would be undermined. The implications of these findings for research and service development are discussed.     

Communicating with dying children and their siblings: A retrospective analysis

Abstract

Recognition that children over age 4 with fatal illnesses generally anticipate their death has prompted more open communication between them and the adults caring for them. We investigated factors influencing the extent and success of such communication between parents, dying children, and their siblings, using data provided by 77 mothers who are members of the Compassionate Friends organization.

We found that those mothers who talked more freely with dying children also did so with the siblings and that communication was more open with older than with younger children. This dialogue was most helpful for both the dying children and their siblings if the former were mostly at home immediately before death, if there was extensive and specific discussion about death and dying, when a parent was the major discussant, and if the family's religious faith was also a significant source of support.

Following such discussions the emotional state of the dying children and the siblings contrasted markedly, with the latter showing significantly more sadness, anger, denial, and fear. We found that most mothers had apparently recovered well from their bereavement and that this recovery correlated with having been helped by their religious faith, having been the main discussants with the children about death, and with having the child away from home the greater part of the terminal phase. Recovery from bereavement was also better among those mothers whose dying children had been better adjusted emotionally.

We recommend that health professionals use all appropriate resources to encourage early, full, and candid discussions between dying children, their siblings, and their families.     

How do children express their spiritual needs?

Abstract experiences of life including religious and spiritual beliefs to make sense of life events and to cope with crises. They will have a range of preconceived ideas, fears, concerns and fantasies which are usually linked to their stage of cognitive development and prior experiences. This article provides examples of expressions of spiritual beliefs across childhood, related to a discussion of the meaning of spirituality in the context of holistic care. Spiritual needs should be incorporated into daily practice of nursing, beginning with assessment, so that normal home routines are maintained and the family's beliefs respected. However this requires nurses to understand ways that children may express their spirituality.