Impact of Satisfactory Family Coping on the Mental Health of Parents Whose Children Died of Cancer.

Context

Bereaved parents experience significant psychosocial distress following the death of a child. Effective family coping may help to mitigate mental health symptoms.

Objective

To evaluate the association between parent-reported satisfaction with family coping and anxiety, depression, and prolonged grief among parents whose children died from cancer.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of surveys from bereaved parents at two timepoints: 6 months-2 years (timepoint 1, TP1) and 3-6 years (TP2) following the child's death. Surveys included an item from the Family Satisfaction Scale measuring parent satisfaction with their family's ability to cope with stress, which we dichotomized as satisfied versus dissatisfied. Validated measures of depression (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), and prolonged grief (PG-13) were included. Linear regression assessed the association between satisfaction with family coping and mental health symptoms.

Results

Parents (N=47) were mean aged 47.2 years (SD 9.1), predominantly white (85%) and female (70%). Parents had elevated rates of at least moderate depression (TP1 40%, TP2 32%), anxiety (TP1 21%, TP2 28%), and prolonged grief (TP1 46%, TP2 26%). At TP1, family coping satisfaction was associated with less depression (β = -4.63, 95% CI: -8.5, -0.8, p=0.020), anxiety (β = -4.86, 95% CI: -8.7, -1.1, p=0.013), and prolonged grief (β = -8.21, 95% CI: -14.9, -1.5, p=0.017). When controlling for TP1 mental health, TP1 family coping satisfaction was not associated with TP2 mental health.

Conclusion

Parents' satisfaction with family coping was associated with fewer negative mental health symptoms in early, but not later, bereavement among bereaved oncology parents.