Effects of a Child's Death on the Marital Relationship: A Review

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis E. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Marital Relationship ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Parental Bereavement ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Bereaved Parents ◽  
Couple Functioning ◽  
Child's Death ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

A review of the clinical and empirical literature suggests that the grief of parents who have lost a child is especially intense, enduring, and taxing on numerous levels. Bereaved parents have been found to suffer multitudinous negative mental and physical health sequelae, as well as secondary losses, The deterioration of the marital relationship may be among these negative outcomes. This review focuses on the effects of a child's death on couple functioning in general, and on specific facets of the marital relationship. Research on variables that may affect the relationship between parental bereavement and marital outcome is explored. Various existing hypotheses for the potentially deleterious impact of a child's death on couples are also reviewed, and a new paradigm for understanding these effects is suggested.

scholarly journals Parental bereavement – impact of death of neonates and children under 12 years on personhood of parents: a systematic scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prachi Simran Vig ◽  
Jia Yin Lim ◽  
Randal Wei Liang Lee ◽  
Huixin Huang ◽  
Xiu Hui Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Parental Bereavement ◽  
Parental Characteristics ◽  
Bereaved Parents ◽  
Effective Care ◽  
Effective Training ◽  
Child's Death ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Losing a child tragically impacts the well-being and functioning of parents. With these effects extending beyond emotional, physical morbidity and compromising self-perceptions, appropriate, longitudinal, timely and personalised support is key to effective care of bereaved parents. However, in the absence of a comprehensive understanding of parental bereavement, effective support of bereaved parents remains suboptimal. To address this gap, we scrutinise prevailing data on the effects of a child’s death, aged 0–12 years, through the lens of the Ring Theory of Personhood (RToP). Methods To study prevailing accounts of bereaved parents following the death of a child, we adopt Krishna’s Systematic Evidence Based Approach (SEBA) to structure our Systematic Scoping Review (SSR in SEBA). Results Three thousand seventy-four abstracts were reviewed, 160 full text articles were evaluated, and 111 articles were included and analysed using thematic and content analysis. Four themes/categories were identified relating to the four rings of the RToP. Findings reveal that static concepts of protective and risk factors for grief are misplaced and that the support of healthcare professionals is key to assisting bereaved parents. Conclusion In the absence of consistent support of bereaved parents, this study highlights the need for effective training of healthcare professionals, beginning with an appreciation that every aspect of an individual parent’s personhood is impacted by the loss of their child. Acknowledging grief as a complex, evolving and personalised process subjected to parental characteristics, settings, context and available support, this SSR in SEBA calls attention to effective nurturing of the relationship between parents and healthcare professionals, and suggests use of the RToP to assess and direct personalised, timely, specific support of parents in evolving conditions. We believe the findings of this review also call for further studies to support healthcare professionals as they journey with bereaved parents.

Mindfulness, self-reported health, and cortisol: A latent profile analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532093118
Author(s):  
Stephen M Leach ◽  
Amanda M Mitchell ◽  
Paul Salmon ◽  
Sandra E Sephton
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Latent Profile

This study utilized a latent profile analysis approach to examine the relationship between mindfulness profiles and self-reported mental and physical health, as well as salivary cortisol levels in a sample of 85 undergraduate students. Consistent with theory, the Judgmentally Observing (high monitoring, low acceptance) reported poorer mental health and exhibited flatter diurnal cortisol slopes than the Unobservant Accepting (low monitoring, high acceptance) and Average Mindfulness profiles. No differences in self-reported physical health, cortisol response to awakening, or diurnal mean cortisol were observed among the profiles. Future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Depression, obesity and their comorbidity during pregnancy: effects on the offspring’s mental and physical health

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Cattane ◽  
Katri Räikkönen ◽  
Roberta Anniverno ◽  
Claudio Mencacci ◽  
Marco A. Riva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Fetal Programming ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Intrauterine Environment ◽  
Individual Effects ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

AbstractDepression and obesity represent two of the most common complications during pregnancy and are associated with severe health risks for both the mother and the child. Although several studies have analysed the individual effects of depression or obesity on the mothers and their children, the effects associated with the co-occurrence of both disorders have so far been poorly investigated. The relationship between depression and obesity is very complex and it is still unclear whether maternal depression leads to obesity or vice versa. It is well known that the intrauterine environment plays an important role in mediating the effects of both depression and obesity in the mother on the fetal programming, increasing the child’s risk to develop negative outcomes.

The relationship of fatigue to mental and physical health in a community sample

2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Williamson ◽  
Shaun Purcell ◽  
Abram Sterne ◽  
Simon Wessely ◽  
Matthew Hotopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

The relationship between patterns of alcohol use and mental and physical health disorders in two American Indian populations

Addiction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan O'Connell ◽  
Douglas K. Novins ◽  
Janette Beals ◽  
Calvin Croy ◽  
Anna E. Barón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
American Indian ◽  
Indian Populations ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

scholarly journals Living arrangements and health at older ages in rural Malawi

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1018-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
JACOB KENDALL ◽  
PHILIP ANGLEWICZ
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
The Family ◽  
Kin Structure ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

ABSTRACTSub-Saharan Africa's older population is projected to nearly double in size by 2030. At the same time, demographic changes have caused major shifts in the units primarily responsible for the care of older adults: the family and household. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between household composition and health at older ages in rural Malawi. We use data from the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health, which contains detailed information on household and family structure, along with measures of mental and physical health (from the Short Form-12). We focus on several measures of living arrangements that are expected to be associated with health: overall household size, sex composition and kin structure (based on co-residence with offspring and grandchildren). Results show that: (a) older women who co-reside with offspring have better mental and physical health compared to those living only with grandchildren; (b) older men who live in larger households or in households with a higher proportion of females have better physical health.

scholarly journals Confidant Relations in Italy

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Isaacs ◽  
Francesca Soglian ◽  
Edward Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Family Network ◽  
The Family ◽  
Italian Culture ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Confidants are often described as the individuals with whom we choose to disclose personal, intimate matters. The presence of a confidant is associated with both mental and physical health benefits. In this study, 135 Italian adults responded to a structured questionnaire that asked if they had a confidant, and if so, to describe various features of the relationship. The vast majority of participants (91%) reported the presence of a confidant and regarded this relationship as personally important, high in mutuality and trust, and involving minimal lying. Confidants were significantly more likely to be of the opposite sex. Participants overall were significantly more likely to choose a spouse or other family member as their confidant, rather than someone outside of the family network. Familial confidants were generally seen as closer, and of greater value, than non-familial confidants. These findings are discussed within the context of Italian culture.

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