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Publications

Journal Article Ahead of print

PubMed: 42603866 DOI: 10.1177/02692163261465772

Long-term grief experiences of parents who lost a child to cancer- Results from a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Palliat Med

Authors: Peter Francis Raguindin, Eddy Carolina Pedraza, Anna Katharina Vokinger, Eva De Clercq, André Oscar von Bueren, Katrin Scheinemann, Eva Maria Tinner, Eva Bergstraesser, Gisela Michel

Affiliations

  • Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.
  • Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • CANSEARCH Research Platform for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St Gallen, Switzerland.
  • Inselspital, University Children's Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Pediatric Palliative Care, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Childhood cancer deaths may be associated with persistent parental grief. Evidence on grief symptoms beyond ten years post-loss remains limited.

AIMS

We described grief symptoms, identified grief profiles, and examined associations between grief intensity and sociodemographic, cancer-related characteristics, and time since death.

DESIGN

This multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in Switzerland (July 2022-July 2023). We used PG-13. Items were rated on a 5-point scale (1-5). We calculated the sum score to assess grief intensity (range 11-55). We employed descriptive statistics, latent profile analysis, and linear regression analyses.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Eligible parents had a child diagnosed with cancer (⩽18 years), who had received treatment at one of three participating Swiss pediatric oncology centers and had died ⩾1 year prior to study participation. Participants were identified via the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry and invited by the child's former treatment facility.

RESULTS

Of 388 identified cases, 103 parents of 81 deceased children participated. Mean grief intensity was 23.3 (SD = 9.0); yearning represented the most prominent symptom (mean = 3.2), while reminder avoidance was least prominent (mean = 1.3). Latent profile analysis revealed three grief profiles: low (56%), moderate (32%), and high grief (12%). High poverty risk (β = 11.04, p<0.001) and death in healthcare facility (β = 3.82, p = 0.024) were associated with higher grief intensity, while longer time since death was associated with lower grief intensity (β = -5.46, p = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental grief symptoms can persist long after the death of a child to cancer. Integrated palliative care, anticipatory guidance, and multidisciplinary collaboration may identify at-risk parents early, and ensure sustained support within the community.

MeSH

Cross-Sectional Studies, Neoplasms, Signs And Symptoms, Grief, Therapeutics, Palliative Care, Child