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Clin Psychol Psychother 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.

Given the severe mental health consequences that may ensue after bereavement it is crucial to better understand malleable cognitive factors that are associated with poorer bereavement outcomes. Grief rumination (i.e. Read More

BMC Psychol 2018 Dec 14;6(1):58. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Psychology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.

Background: Disorders-of-consciousness (DOC) are rare conditions leading to very severe physical and mental disabilities. Providing care for DOC patients has been described as a stressful experience, eroding the physical and psychological health of the caregiver. Different forms of care may have different impacts on the caregivers and institutionalized care has been suggested to have an unburdening effect, but this possibility has never been empirically studied. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2017 Jan 28;15(1):6-9. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Department of Pediatrics, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan.

We report the case of a newborn baby with an unguarded mitral orifice associated with asplenia syndrome, double-outlet right ventricle, dysplastic tricuspid valve, and pulmonary stenosis. This case was accompanied by severe tricuspid regurgitation and severe right ventricular hypertrophy. The patient had a fatal clinical course due to severe hypoxia and congestive heart failure. Read More

Gerontologist 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Geriatric Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore.

Purpose: Caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) can experience loss and grief long before the death of the person. Although such experience of caregiver grief is measurable, available scales (such as the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory, MM-CGI) are lengthy and have overlaps with other caregiving constructs. We developed a briefer scale that captures the essence of caregiver grief-with comparable psychometric properties and total score to MM-CGI, as well as less overlap with other caregiving constructs. Read More

Death Stud 2018 Dec 12:1-6. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

d Department of Psychology, University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA.

Unresolved relational issues with the deceased have been considered a prominent risk factor for negative bereavement outcomes. However, this area of study has suffered from a lack of conceptual clarity, with some commentators focusing on bereavement-related regret and others focusing on "unfinished business," or lingering or unspoken conflicts with the deceased. This study examined the two concepts in a sample of 229 bereaved individuals, finding them to be overlapping but distinct constructs. Read More

Death Stud 2018 Dec 12:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

a Department of History , Susquehanna University , Selinsgrove , Pennsylvania , USA.

This paper asks how do the deaths and the postmortem detransitioning (the verbal, visual, and material rejection of a person's gender identity) of transgender women impact trans activism? After analyzing the case studies of Jennifer Gable and Leelah Alcorn, I outline how the contentious memorialization of transgender women and the disenfranchized grief of survivors influence trans activism. I conclude that activism is characterized by respecting the wishes of the deceased, by preventing the violence which transgender women experience, by advocating for trans elder care, by educating about end-of-life issues, and by lobbying for laws that protect transgender men and women after death. Read More

Acta Biomed 2018 Dec 7;89(7-S):60-69. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Psychology, Swansea University.

Background And Aim Of The Work: Numbers of elderly people worldwide continue to grow. Increasingly these individuals require nursing and residential care to meet their needs. Nursing is an occupation associated with burnout amongst its workforce, associated with increases of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and decreases in personal accomplishment. Read More

J Adv Nurs 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University, Furness Building, Lancaster, LA1 4YG, UK.

Aim: To increase understanding of grandparental grief following the death of a grandchild from a life-limiting condition.

Design: META-ETHNOGRAPHY: DATA SOURCES: Academic Search Complete (2015, updated 2018), CINHAL, Embase, psycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science, supplemented by manual search strategies.

Review Methods: Studies were appraised and synthesised using the principles of meta-ethnography. Read More

Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY.

An avoidant grief style is marked by repeated and often unsuccessful attempts to prevent thinking about loss. Prior work shows avoidant grief involves monitoring the external environment in order to avoid reminders of the loss. Here we sought to determine whether avoidant grievers also monitor the internal environment in attempts to minimize conscious awareness of loss-related thoughts. Read More

J Healthc Leadersh 2018 15;10:55-65. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Nursing Learning and Workforce Development, Queensland Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Purpose: Around 170 multidisciplinary staff of the Oncology Services Group at Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, care for children with oncology, hematology, and palliative care needs from throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales. A series of challenges impacted staff resilience and retention, and strategies were needed to improve staff well-being and enable them to flourish despite the inherent work stressors.

Methods: A needs analysis was conducted using themes from Discovery Interviews with 51 staff, surveys related to "The Work Stressors Scale - Pediatric Oncology" and "The Work Rewards Scale - Pediatric Oncology" completed by 59 staff, and an organizational staff survey responded to by 51 staff. Read More

MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2019 Jan/Feb;44(1):20-26

Marianne H. Hutti is a Professor, University of Louisville, School of Nursing, Louisville, KY. The author can be reached via e-mail at Rana Limbo is Director Emeritus, Resolve Through Sharing, Gundersen Medical Foundation.

Providing nursing care to perinatally bereaved women and their families is difficult, emotionally demanding, and complicated. Here we demonstrate how, through understanding the theoretical underpinnings of Guided Participation and perinatal grief intensity, nurses can significantly expand their competence and confidence in their ability to provide highly individualized, supportive, relationship-based perinatal bereavement care. The way that parents respond to a perinatal loss may range from little response to highly intense, long-lasting grief. Read More

ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

University of South Florida College of Nursing, Tampa (Ms Mason); and Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida (Dr Tofthagen).

Grieving is a normal reaction to loss; however, not everyone is able to recover from grief and adjust to a life after the loss. "Complicated grief" (CG) is a term used to describe intense and prolonged bereavement after the loss of a loved one that interferes with normal activities accompanied by destructive thoughts and behaviors. In practice and research, the concept of CG varies in definition and instruments used to measure. Read More

Midwifery 2018 Nov 28;70:1-6. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

Background: Despite growing recognition of the potential psychological and emotional impacts of pregnancy loss on expecting parents, the majority of the literature and subsequent care guidelines focus largely on women's experiences. Currently, there is limited research pertaining solely to men's health and psychological outcomes, especially in the Australian context.

Objective: This study aimed to explore Australian men's experiences of both formal and informal supports received following a female partner's pregnancy loss. Read More

Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2018 Dec 5:1049909118814240. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

1 Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Purpose:: The purpose of this study was to clarify the concept of death preparedness for family caregivers in dementia. Conceptualization was required to support the assessment, promotion, and operationalization (ie, measurement) of death preparedness through palliative care interventions such as advance care planning.

Methods:: Rodgers evolutionary method of concept analysis was selected to guide this study because of the dynamic nature of death preparedness influenced by context, setting, and time. Read More

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018 Nov 2. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Department of Psychiatry (STS, RS), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; University Center for Social and Urban Research (RS), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.

Objective: After an extended period of caregiving, the death of a family member with dementia can provide a sense of relief to individuals because caregiving has ended and their loved one is no longer suffering. Little is known about predeath factors associated with feeling relieved after the death of a family member with dementia. This study examined 1) predeath factors associated with caregiver (CG) relief; and 2) whether CG relief is associated with postbereavement adjustment, namely complicated grief and depression symptoms. Read More

Omega (Westport) 2018 Dec 4:30222818814050. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

2 Psychology Department, Palo Alto University, CA, USA.

This study investigated self-compassion in the context of grief following the death of a companion animal in a recently bereaved sample ( N = 431). We addressed social contexts and individual differences focusing on how psychosocial outcomes vary as a function of social constraints, as well as individual differences in self-compassion and use of continuing bonds (CB). We observed that self-compassion related to the frequency of engagement in CB. Read More

Death Stud 2018 Dec 4:1-13. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

d Department of Psychology, University of Memphis , Memphis , Tennessee , USA.

Although unresolved issues with the deceased are often targeted in bereavement interventions, understanding of this construct has been hampered by the lack of a psychometrically validated scale to assess it. To address this gap, the Unfinished Business in Bereavement Scale (UBBS) was developed and tested in two samples of bereaved adults (n = 292 and 168). In exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the UBBS was found to be composed of two related factors. Read More

Clin Psychol Psychother 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia.

The ability to infer psychological meaning in behaviour--referred to as psychological mindedness--has been posited as a patient characteristic that contributes to the therapy process, and consequently to therapeutic success. The present study was developed to examine the relationship between patients' psychological mindedness and improvement in patients' personal treatment goals in interpretive and supportive group therapies for complicated grief, along with patients' importance to group process. The study was conducted with a clinical sample of 109 patients (79% female; average 45 years old) receiving treatment for complicated grief. Read More

J Head Trauma Rehabil 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Drs Aguilar and Wade and Ms Shultz) and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (Dr Cassedy), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio; University of Cincinnati, Ohio (Ms Shultz and Dr Wade); Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver (Dr Kirkwood); Metrohealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio (Dr Stancin); Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (Drs Stancin and Taylor); Department of Pediatrics and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Ontario (Dr Yeates); and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio (Dr Taylor).

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a web-based parenting intervention (Internet-Based Interacting Together Everyday: Recovery After Childhood TBI [I-InTERACT]) and an abbreviated version (Express) in reducing executive dysfunction and internalizing problems among young children following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Method: Parents of 113 children (ages 3-9 years) who had sustained a TBI were randomized to 1 of 3 treatment groups: I-InTERACT, Express, or an Internet Resource Comparison (IRC) group. Parents who participated in either I-InTERACT or Express completed self-guided web sessions and received live coaching of their parenting skills via videoconferencing with a therapist. Read More

AMA J Ethics 2018 Nov 1;20(11):E1017-1024. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

A philosopher and pediatrician in the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the Department of Humanities at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Parents of children with complex health needs are often both vigilant and very knowledgeable about their child's disease state. That said, sometimes parents' hyperfocus, combined with their strong emotional attachment, can result in both false beliefs regarding their child's capacities and disagreements with clinicians about what is and is not clinically indicated. We examine ethical and professional responsibilities clinicians should consider when working with parents who hold false beliefs about their child with complex health needs. Read More

J Clin Psychol Med Settings 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Research demonstrates that severe forms of grief and grief-related pathology exist in the general population. Less attention, however, has been paid to the grief of parents following the death of a young, dependent child. In this review, we summarize a search of Pubmed, PsycINFO and Web of Science from 1995 to 2017, using the terms 'parental complicated grief', 'parental traumatic grief', and 'parent Prolonged Grief Disorder', specifically addressing parental grief and identified risk factors for complicated or prolonged grief. Read More

Omega (Westport) 2018 Nov 28:30222818814052. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

1 Center for Crisis Psychology, Bergen, Norway.

This article presents results from one of the first longitudinal studies exploring the effects of losing a close friend to traumatic death, focusing on complicated grief over time and how this is affected by avoidant behavior and rumination about the loss. The sample consists of 88 persons (76% women and 24% men, mean age = 21) who lost a close friend in the Utøya killings in Norway on July 22, 2011.Quantitative data were collected at three time-points; 18, 28, and 40 months postloss. Read More

Eur J Psychotraumatol 2018 16;9(1):1544026. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

: Along with the implementation of the one-child policy in China, a special group of bereaved parents called 'shiduer' (), meaning parents bereaved by the loss of their only child, emerged. Although previous research has examined the physical and psychological health of this population, individual differences in physical and psychological outcomes are still not well understood. : This study aimed to identify heterogenous subgroups of Chinese bereaved parents who lost their only child based on the physical and psychological health of this population as well as the predictive factors of each subgroup. Read More

Death Stud 2018 Nov 22:1-9. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

a Department of Psychology , University of Wisconsin-La Crosse , La Crosse , WI , USA.

This qualitative study explores bereavement experiences with an assisted death. Thematic analysis of data from interviews with 22 people who had a family member die under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act revealed the following five themes: (a) general grief reactions, (b) anticipating the death, (c) sense of control, (d) level of agreement with assisted death, and (e) grief expression and stigma. Grief from an assisted death is a varied experience, including aspects that are unique to this mode of death, and aspects that can both ease and bring challenges to the grieving process. Read More

Rev Paul Pediatr 2018 Oct-Dec;36(4):422-427. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brasil.

Objective: To analyze the communication of a child's death and the grief support provided to the women during puerperium.

Methods: This is a qualitative study performed at a capital of the Northeast region of Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 women, whose children died from July 2012 to July 2014. Read More

Transl Pediatr 2018 Oct;7(4):326-343

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

This article reviews the state and practice of pediatric palliative care (PC) within the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with specific consideration of quality issues. This includes defining PC and end of life (EOL) care. We will also describe PC as it pertains to alleviating children's suffering through the provision of "concurrent care" in the ICU environment. Read More

BMC Palliat Care 2018 Nov 20;17(1):124. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Room FG425, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Background: Anticipatory grief (AG) among caregivers of people with dementia is common and has been found to be related to negative health outcomes. Previous studies showed different patterns of AG between spousal and adult children caregivers of people with dementia (PWD) at different stages; however, the levels of such grief are not yet compared. The findings in Western studies are very limited, and inconsistencies have also been found in Asian studies. Read More

J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care 2018 Nov 20:1-10. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

a School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice , Saint Louis University , Saint Louis , Missouri , USA.

In recent years, clinical approaches to anticipatory grief and inclusivity amongst the medical team and family members have grown. In thinking about the end-of-life concerns within the pediatric care setting, practice concepts, and innovations inform how physicians and members of the interdisciplinary care team choose to approach conversations with parents and family members, as well as the particular level of involvement parents should have in decisions regarding the end of their child's life. Read More

J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care 2018 Nov 20:1-17. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

a College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences , Cleveland State University Cleveland , United States.

The death of an older adult with dementia often has an uncertain dying trajectory and has been referred to as "the long goodbye." Researchers have found both positive and negative outcomes of pre-death grief for caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses. This qualitative study explored the end-of-life experiences for 36 bereaved family caregivers of older adults with dementia; focusing on understanding their experiences with pre-death grief. Read More

Ann Intern Med 2018 Nov;169(10):729-730

Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California (M.M.K.).

Death Stud 2018 Nov 19:1-11. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

a Department of Communication Arts and Sciences , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , PA , USA.

This study used the meaning reconstruction model of bereavement and the theory of conversationally induced reappraisals to investigate factors that influence the association between grief following a miscarriage and post-traumatic growth. Participants included 298 women who had experienced a miscarriage within the previous year. As predicted, a moderate level of grief corresponded with the most post-traumatic growth among bereaved mothers and meaning reconstruction and partner supportive communication moderated this association. Read More

Sociol Health Illn 2018 Nov 18. Epub 2018 Nov 18.

James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, UK.

In the western world, farming is the most dangerous occupation with the highest rates of accidents and fatalities. Farming remains largely a family business and most accidents happen to family members. Why do safety campaigns have such limited success and why do farm families bring this terrible grief on themselves? This article argues that farm accidents are a persistent social pattern requiring analysis of how families are socialised to interact with the farming space. Read More

MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2019 Jan/Feb;44(1):6-12

Joanne Cacciatore is an Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ. The author can be reached via e-mail at Kara Thieleman is a Doctoral Student, School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.

There are several ways, clinically, to approach grief after perinatal death, including from a humanistic or a medicalized perspective. The death of a baby is complicated. The loss is an embodied one that incites deep psychological wounds and can be isolating for many parents. Read More

JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep 2018 Nov;16(11):2085-2091

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, ACT Health, Canberra, Australia.

Review Question: What are health professionals' experiences of grief associated with the death of pediatric patients in acute or community healthcare settings? Read More

Omega (Westport) 2018 Nov 15:30222818809766. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

1 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, IL, USA.

This article examines some aspects of the enduring influence of the work of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and especially of her "five stages" model through a sampling of recent textbooks published in the United States in selected academic disciplines and professional fields. The following are the questions to be asked: 1. Read More

Aging Ment Health 2018 Nov 14:1-6. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

a VA Harbor Healthcare System-Manhattan Campus , New York , NY , USA.

Objective: This study used qualitative methods to understand how to further alleviate symptoms of depression and caregiver burden and address the needs of non-responders following a course of Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health in VA (REACH VA).

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with caregivers and interventionists post-treatment were coded for themes related to ways to address the needs of non-responder caregivers.

Results: The following suggestions recurred among non-responder caregivers and interventionists: (1) tailor skills and psychoeducation material to caregiver's needs; (2) provide greater overall support within the realm of caregiving; (3) explore and process caregiver's emotions around caregiving experience and grief; (4) address interpersonal difficulties and barriers to asking for help; (5) spend more time practicing skills to aid in implementing them at home. Read More

Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2018 Nov 14:1049909118812025. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

2 Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.

Objectives:: A sizable minority of those who lose a loved one in hospice will experience symptoms of bereavement-related mental health disorders. Though hospices offer services to bereaved informal caregivers (family members or friends) of patients, little is known about services offered or interest in them. Therefore, we sought to assess services offered by hospice staff and interest expressed by bereaved informal caregivers with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or complicated grief (CG). Read More

J Fam Pract 2018 Oct;67(10):637-640

West Virginia University School of Medicine, Charleston Division, USA.

Several criteria lasting 6 months or longer can help identify complicated grief, as can available assessment tools. Treatment has a unique focus. Read More

Disabil Rehabil 2018 Nov 13:1-10. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

b Acquired Brain Injury Unit, Alfred Health , Melbourne , Australia.

Purpose: To investigate the experiences of significant others when their loved one with a severe brain injury is admitted to acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation.

Main Measures: A qualitative approach was undertaken; using in-depth interviews and the drawing method to elicit information on the experiences of significant others who had loved ones enter an ABI unit, early in the sub-acute rehabilitation admission.

Results: Nine significant others participated in interviews and completed drawings. Read More

Pilot Feasibility Stud 2018 31;4:165. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

9Faculty of Nursing Level 3, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, 11405 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9 Canada.

Background: Following institutionalization of a relative with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD), family carers continue to provide care. They must learn to negotiate with staff and navigate the system all of which can affect their mental health. A web-based intervention, My Tools 4 Care-In Care (MT4C-In Care) was developed by the research team to aid carers through the transitions experienced when their relative/friend with ADRD resides in a long-term care (LTC) facility. Read More

Psychol Med 2018 Nov 9:1-9. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, Weill Cornell Medicine,New York, NY,USA.

Background: Identifying characteristics of individuals at greatest risk for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) can improve its detection and elucidate the etiology of the disorder. The Safe Passage Study, a study of women at high risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), prospectively examined the psychosocial functioning of women while monitoring their healthy pregnancies. Mothers whose infants died of SIDS were followed in bereavement. Read More

Front Psychol 2018 22;9:1957. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Division Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Department of Psychology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a new mental health disorder that will be recognized by the World Health Organization's disorder classification, the ICD-11, in 2018. Current assessment measures of PGD are largely based on North American and European conceptualizations of grief (etic i.e. Read More

BMC Palliat Care 2018 Nov 7;17(1):122. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: As understandings of the impacts of end-of-life experiences on parents' grief and bereavement increase, so too does the inclusion of bereaved parents into research studies exploring these experiences. However, designing and obtaining approval for these studies can be difficult, as guidance derived from bereaved parents' experiences of the research process are limited within the current literature.

Methods: We aimed to explore bereaved parents' experiences of research participation in a larger grounded theory study exploring experiences of the death of a child in the paediatric intensive care unit. Read More

Prim Care 2018 Dec;45(4):705-717

Department of Family Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address:

Plastic surgery is a broad field, including maxillofacial surgery, reconstruction after injuries, hand surgery, and skin flaps and grafts, but the most common procedures for women are liposuction and body contouring, breast surgery, and facial cosmetic procedures. Techniques of face and brow lifts, blepharoplasty, and rhinoplasty are discussed as well as botulinum toxin and filler injections, and laser and pulsed light techniques that may delay or eliminate the need for surgery. Comparison of the surgeries for breast reconstruction, reduction, augmentation, and mastopexy is discussed. Read More