An investigation of grief and adaptation in parents whose children have died from cancer

The experiences and adaptation of 54 parents were studied from2 months to 3 years following the death of their child fromcancer. There appears to be a phenomenon in the 3rd year ofbereavement which is associated with an intensification of thegrief experience and suggests that parental bereavement mayactually worsen with time. Other findings indicate that thereare "optimum" amounts of anticipatory grief, participation withthe hospitalized child, and lengths of illness, below and abovewhich parental adjustment is compromised. Anticipatory griefwas found to have statistically significant salutary effects.Parental participation during the child's hospitalization wasfound to be significantly associated with higher ratings ofparental satisfaction with the child's treatment. Overall mothersappeared to sustain grief experiences reflective of higher degreesof intensity and poorer adjustment as compared to fathers, althoughonly to a statistically significant level on two variables.The amount of support received during the illness had a mixedeffect upon the parents' grief and adjustment. Previous losstended to be associated with poorer bereavement outcomes andlower anticipatory grief.