Parental Grief and Loss and the medical Staff Relationship: a Function of Attachment

Each year, too many parents must face the horrific ordeal of having to prepare for the death of their child; thought to be the most traumatic event in the life of an adult (Widger & Picot, 2008). It is in the desperate hours just prior to death that these parents, for many reasons, reach out for support to the medical staff around them. This process, particularly if negative, can leave scars that parents will carry for a lifetime (N. Contro, Larson, Scofield, Sourkes, & Cohen, 2002; Tinsley, et al., 2008). However, there appear to be factors that serve to lessen the negativity of this time (Gerretsen & Myers, 2008; Tan, Zimmermann, & Rodin, 2005). Thirteen families agreed to participate, in this study, from several hospitals, each family having lost a child within the past year. Qualitative analyses of interviews with these families indicated that themes of communication, availability, and empathy were important in relation to the physician. Themes detrimental to the relationship with the physician included communication brevity and carelessness. Additionally, results suggested that these themes exist in an additive hierarchy, with no one theme ensuring the viability or destruction of the relationship, instead serving to buffer positive and negative influence. Recommendations for future research include evaluation of the manner in which these themes impact each other, and ultimately the relationship.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Gleason, Peter Christopher

Contributors dc:contributor

• Riggs, Matt L.
• Tinsley, Cynthia H.
• Vermeersch, David
• Williams, Gerald A.

• Clinical Psychology
• Terminally ill - Family Relationships; Families - Medical care - Psychological Aspects; Communication; Medicine and psychology; Parents - Psychology; Bereavement - Psychological aspects; Children - Death - Psychological Aspects; Loss (Psychology)
• Death of child
• Traumatic events
• Physician - Parent Communication
• Empathy
• Physician Availability

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/32

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1031