TY - JOUR
T1 - Follow-up study of complicated grief among parents eighteen months after a child's death in the pediatric intensive care unit
AU - Meert, Kathleen L.
AU - Shear, Katherine
AU - Newth, Christopher J.L.
AU - Harrison, Rick
AU - Berger, John
AU - Zimmerman, Jerry
AU - Anand, K. J.S.
AU - Carcillo, Joseph
AU - Donaldson, Amy E.
AU - Dean, J. Michael
AU - Willson, Douglas F.
AU - Nicholson, Carol
PY - 2011/2/1
Y1 - 2011/2/1
N2 - Objective: We previously demonstrated that parents whose children die in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) have a high level of complicated grief symptoms 6 months after the death. In this study, we investigate the change in the extent of complicated grief symptoms among these parents between 6 and 18 months postdeath and identify factors predicting improvement. Methods: One hundred thirty-eight parents of 106 children completed surveys at 6 and 18 months. Surveys included the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), measures of grief avoidance, attachment, caregiving and social support, and demographics. Multivariable analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations to identify characteristics independently associated with improvement in ICG score. Results: ICG scores were 33.4 ± 13.6 at 6 months and 28.0 ± 13.5 at 18 months, representing an improvement in ICG score of 5.4 + 8.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.1-6.8, p < 0.001). Variables independently associated with greater improvement in ICG score included traumatic death and greater grief avoidance. Variables independently associated with less improvement included being the biological parent and having more responsive caregiving. Parents with one or two surviving children had more improvement in ICG score than those with no surviving children whereas parents with three or more surviving children had less improvement. Conclusion: Complicated grief symptoms decrease among parents between 6 and 18 months after their child's death in the PICU; however, high symptom levels persists for some. Better understanding of the trajectory of complicated grief will allow parents at risk for persistent distress to receive professional support.
AB - Objective: We previously demonstrated that parents whose children die in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) have a high level of complicated grief symptoms 6 months after the death. In this study, we investigate the change in the extent of complicated grief symptoms among these parents between 6 and 18 months postdeath and identify factors predicting improvement. Methods: One hundred thirty-eight parents of 106 children completed surveys at 6 and 18 months. Surveys included the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), measures of grief avoidance, attachment, caregiving and social support, and demographics. Multivariable analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations to identify characteristics independently associated with improvement in ICG score. Results: ICG scores were 33.4 ± 13.6 at 6 months and 28.0 ± 13.5 at 18 months, representing an improvement in ICG score of 5.4 + 8.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.1-6.8, p < 0.001). Variables independently associated with greater improvement in ICG score included traumatic death and greater grief avoidance. Variables independently associated with less improvement included being the biological parent and having more responsive caregiving. Parents with one or two surviving children had more improvement in ICG score than those with no surviving children whereas parents with three or more surviving children had less improvement. Conclusion: Complicated grief symptoms decrease among parents between 6 and 18 months after their child's death in the PICU; however, high symptom levels persists for some. Better understanding of the trajectory of complicated grief will allow parents at risk for persistent distress to receive professional support.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79951698210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/jpm.2010.0291
DO - 10.1089/jpm.2010.0291
M3 - Article
C2 - 21281122
AN - SCOPUS:79951698210
VL - 14
SP - 207
EP - 214
JO - Journal of Palliative Medicine
JF - Journal of Palliative Medicine
SN - 1096-6218
IS - 2
ER -