title: Comparison of continuing bonds reported by parents and siblings after a child's death from cancer.
abstract: Few studies have distinguished similarities and differences between continuing bonds as they appear in various bereaved populations, particularly parent versus sibling cohorts following a child's death. This mixed-method study compared how parents and siblings experienced continuing bonds in 40 families who lost a child to cancer. Thirty-six mothers, 24 fathers, and 39 siblings were recruited 3-12 months post-loss (M = 10.7, SD = 3.5). Nearly all participants (97%) reported engaging in purposeful bonds with deceased children, while only 14% reported nonpurposeful connections. Over half of participants (58%) experienced comforting effects from reminders of the deceased child, whereas only 10% of family members experienced discomforting effects. Mothers communicated with the deceased, thought about the deceased, and did things that the deceased child would have liked more often than siblings. Mothers also reported significantly more comforting effects than siblings. Additional research is needed to further delineate continuing bonds for different types of loss and examine associations with positive and negative outcomes for bereaved individuals.
authors: School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37240, USA. terrah.l.foster@vanderbilt.edu
authors: Terrah L
authors: TL
authors: Foster
authors: School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37240, USA.
authors: Mary Jo
authors: MJ
authors: Gilmer
authors: Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California San Francisco, USA.
authors: Betty
authors: B
authors: Davies
authors: School of Nursing and Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
authors: Mary S
authors: MS
authors: Dietrich
authors: Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Maru
authors: M
authors: Barrera
authors: School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors: Diane L
authors: DL
authors: Fairclough
authors: Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Vannatta
authors: Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors: Cynthia A
authors: CA
authors: Gerhardt
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult