ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents bereaved owing to parental cancer in Japan. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional Web-based survey was conducted, enrolling adolescents bereaved because of parental cancer in the previous 5 years. Posttraumatic growth, number of social support members, support from medical staff, and behaviors after bereavement were measured. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore the association between total PTG score and possible related factors. RESULTS: We assessed 57 participants in this study. Mean age was 19.3 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.0) years, and most participants were female (75.4%). Mean total score of the Japanese version of the PTG inventory was 43.0 (SD = 25.6). Participants' mean number of social support members was 2.1 (SD = 1.3), and these support members were the surviving parent (66.7%), friends (38.6%), and siblings (36.8%). The multiple linear regression model explained 45% of the variance in PTG. In this model, the following 3 behaviors after bereavement were associated with PTG: "putting palms together in front of a parent's picture or an altar" (ß = .36, P = .006), "visiting a parent's grave" (ß = .29, P = .03), and "having fun with friends" (ß = .25, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Parentally bereaved adolescents in Japan experience PTG. Specific behaviors after bereavements might be recommended for PTG among Japanese adolescents bereaved because of parental cancer.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Bereavement , Parental Death/psychology , Resilience, Psychological , Social Support , Adolescent , Cross-Sectional Studies , Family/psychology , Female , Friends/psychology , Grief , Humans , Japan , Linear Models , Male , Neoplasms/psychology , Socioeconomic Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of this study was to examine three hypotheses: (1) adolescents who had experienced the death of a parent would report higher grief reactions than those who had lost a grandparent; (2) adolescents who experienced the death of a parent would report higher posttraumatic growth than those who had lost a grandparent; and (3) posttraumatic growth and grief reactions are positively associated. BACKGROUND: To date, no study has investigated adolescents' posttraumatic growth by their relationship with the deceased. DESIGN: Cross-sectional web-based survey. METHODS: Participants were adolescents who had experienced the death of a parent or grandparent in the last 5 years. Participants completed the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and grief reaction items. We conducted a web-based survey during January 2014. We used Pearson product-moment correlations to examine the association between each Posttraumatic Growth Inventory domain and each grief reaction item. Differences in the relationship with the deceased for each Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and grief reaction item were compared with an independent-sample t-test. RESULTS: Participants (n = 124) reported grief reactions including 'I began to get frustrated at the little things' (43·5%), 'It was difficult to go to school' (41·1%) and 'I was not able to sleep at night' (33·9%). The independent t-test indicated that parentally bereaved adolescents reported higher grief reactions than those who had lost a grandparent. There were no differences in post-traumatic growth by relationship with the deceased. [corrected]. Pearson's bivariate analysis showed an association between grief reactions and posttraumatic growth. CONCLUSION: Parentally bereaved adolescents reported higher grief reactions. [corrected]. Nurses should ensure bereaved adolescents receive appropriate support.