Article, 2024

Coping and grief symptoms after parental loss in adolescence - a nationwide follow-up study

Death Studies, ISSN 1091-7683, 0748-1187, Volume ahead-of-print, ahead-of-print, Pages 1-10, 10.1080/07481187.2024.2370464

Contributors

Schaadt, Anne Sophie [1] Bidstrup, Pernille Envold 0000-0002-9704-6800 [1] [2] Dall, Ida Cathrine [1] Rosthøj, Susanne [3] Karlsen, Randi Valbjørn [1] Guldin, Mai-Britt 0000-0002-5716-4423 [4] Søholm, Amalie [1] Karstoft, Karen-Inge 0000-0001-9234-9784 [2] Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg [5] Høeg, Beverley Lim 0000-0002-9946-2429 (Corresponding author) [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Psychological Aspects of Cancer, Cancer Survivorship, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
    2. [NORA names: Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  2. [2] University of Copenhagen
    3. [NORA names: KU University of Copenhagen; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  3. [3] Statistics and Data Analysis, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
    4. [NORA names: Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  4. [4] Aarhus University
    5. [NORA names: AU Aarhus University; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  5. [5] Cancer Survivorship, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
    6. [NORA names: Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD]

Abstract

Knowledge about effective coping strategies is important to support bereaved adolescents who have lost a parent. We used data on 104 bereaved adolescents (13-17 years) from the FALCON nationwide questionnaire study of parentally bereaved families. We examined associations between adolescents' control-oriented and escape-oriented coping strategies (KidCOPE scale) approximately two months after loss and grief symptoms (PG-13 scale) at six months follow-up. We also examined associations between the perceived efficacy of each coping strategy at baseline and grief symptoms at six months. The use of escape-oriented coping (e.g., distraction, self-criticism and social withdrawal) was associated with higher grief symptoms at six months follow-up (β = 0.4, 95% CI 0.1-0.9, p = 0.02), but no associations were found for control-oriented coping or perceived coping efficacy. Finding alternatives to the use of escape-oriented coping strategies may be an important part of grief interventions for bereaved adolescents.

Keywords

Falcon, Kidcope scale, PG-13, adolescents, association, baseline, bereaved adolescents, bereaved families, control-oriented, coping, coping efficacy, coping strategies, data, effective coping strategies, efficacy, family, follow-up, follow-up study, grief, grief interventions, grief symptoms, intervention, knowledge, loss, months, months follow-up, nationwide follow-up study, nationwide questionnaire study, parental loss, parentally bereaved families, parents, perceived coping efficacy, perceived efficacy, questionnaire study, scale, strategies, study, symptoms

Funders

  • Danish Cancer Society

Data Provider: Digital Science

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