title: Parent Spirituality, Grief, and Mental Health at 1 and 3 Months After Their Infant's/Child's Death in an Intensive Care Unit.
abstract: The death of an infant/child is one of the most devastating experiences for parents and immediately throws them into crisis. Research on the use of spiritual/religious coping strategies is limited, especially with Black and Hispanic parents after a neonatal (NICU) or pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) death.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this longitudinal study was to test the relationships between spiritual/religious coping strategies and grief, mental health (depression and post-traumatic stress disorder) and personal growth for mothers and fathers at 1 (T1) and 3 (T2) months after the infant's/child's death in the NICU/PICU, with and without control for race/ethnicity and religion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bereaved parents' greater use of spiritual activities was associated with lower symptoms of grief, mental health (depression and post-traumatic stress), but not post-traumatic stress in fathers. Use of religious activities was significantly related to greater personal growth for mothers, but not fathers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spiritual strategies and activities helped parents cope with their grief and helped bereaved mothers maintain their mental health and experience personal growth.
authors: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL. Electronic address: dhawthorne@fau.edu.
authors: Dawn M
authors: DM
authors: Hawthorne
authors: Dr. Herbert & Nicole Wertheim Professor in Prevention and Family Health, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
authors: JoAnne M
authors: JM
authors: Youngblut
authors: Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
authors: Dorothy
authors: D
authors: Brooten
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D026443:Spiritual Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D029181:Spirituality; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Bereaved parents; NICU/PICU death; Spirituality