Tenhulzen Katy A, Claridge Amy M, McCarthy Abigail, Craven Meredith, McClendon Libby Faith
Department of Family and Consumer Science, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, USA.
Omega (Westport). 2024 Oct 3:302228241289511. doi: 10.1177/00302228241289511.
The death of a child is an intense loss for families, which impacts the wellbeing of parents, surviving siblings, and the family as a whole. This study expanded on existing literature by collecting qualitative accounts from bereaved parents and siblings about their experiences before, during, and after the death of a child in their family. In total, 15 participants from 9 families completed semi-structured interviews. Findings highlighted three periods of the grieving process, which were not linear but rather ongoing and often happening simultaneously: (1) Crisis; (2) Learning to cope; and (3) Establishment of a new equilibrium. Parents and siblings reported experiences unique to their role in the family and developmental stage, as well as shared experiences within the family system. Findings have implications for palliative care and bereavement professionals in terms of supporting parent, sibling, and family coping before, during, and after the death of a child.
孩子的死亡对家庭来说是巨大的损失，会影响父母、幸存的兄弟姐妹以及整个家庭的幸福。本研究通过收集失去孩子的父母和兄弟姐妹关于其孩子死亡前、死亡期间及死亡后的经历的定性描述，对现有文献进行了拓展。总共来自9个家庭的15名参与者完成了半结构化访谈。研究结果突出了悲伤过程的三个阶段，这些阶段并非呈线性，而是持续存在且常常同时发生：（1）危机；（2）学会应对；（3）建立新的平衡。父母和兄弟姐妹报告了他们在家庭中角色和发展阶段所特有的经历，以及家庭系统中的共同经历。研究结果对姑息治疗和丧亲之痛领域的专业人员在支持父母、兄弟姐妹以及家庭在孩子死亡前、死亡期间和死亡后的应对方面具有启示意义。
