A MIXED-METHODS EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENT-PROFESSIONAL INTERACTIONS AND PARENTAL GRIEF AFTER THEIR CHILD DIES OF CANCER

Carlos Torres

Data is provided by the student.

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine how bereaved parents interactions with their deceased childs pediatric oncology professional care team have impacted their grief symptoms. Thirty participants whose children died of cancer one to three years ago completed an in-depth interview and surveys measuring meaning-making, depression, and grief symptoms. Correlational analyses of the measures found that an increase in meaning making was associated with lower depressive and grief symptoms. A content analysis of the interviews found that many participants regarded staff like family, had on-going relationships with staff after their child died, and described various ways staff interactions during treatment and after the childs death helped them make sense of their loss. Quantifying the interview data and statistically analyzing it along with the measures found that participants increased frequency of describing staffs positive impact on their grief correlated with higher meaning-making scores and lower grief symptom scores.