Long-term follow-up of parental adjustment following a child's death at home or hospital. Cancer 1989 Mar 01;63(5):988-94
Date
03/01/1989Pubmed ID
2914304DOI
10.1002/1097-0142(19890301)63:5<988::aid-cncr2820630534>3.0.co;2-yScopus ID
2-s2.0-0024522982 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 54 CitationsAbstract
The adjustment of parents whose children had died from cancer 6 to 8 years earlier was assessed using structured interviews and standardized inventories. Forty parents had participated in a home hospice program during the terminal phase of their child's illness whereas 22 were parents of children who died in the hospital. Home care parents reported significantly stronger relationships with spouse and remaining children, firmer religious convictions, more adequate coping abilities, and less residual guilt than non-home care parents. On the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), non-home care parents exhibited more frequent indications of maladjustment including somatization, depression, and interpersonal problems. The results confirm that the more optimal adjustment of home care parents which was first reported 5 years earlier has been maintained. Support and expansion of pediatric home hospice programs are strongly encouraged in light of the positive results of our longitudinal studies.
Author List
Lauer ME, Mulhern RK, Schell MJ, Camitta BMMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Adaptation, PsychologicalAdolescent
Adult
Bereavement
Child
Child, Preschool
Employment
Family
Follow-Up Studies
Guilt
Health Status
Home Care Services
Humans
Marriage
Middle Aged
Parents
Personality Tests
Religion and Psychology
Social Support
United States
