Adaptation of a Grief and Communication Family Support Intervention for Parentally Bereaved Families in Sweden

Dealing with bereaved children: a case study

Introduction:

A personal reflection on managing bereaved children (BC) following unexpected death of a parent.

Questions:

What evidence is available to assist ambulance clinicians when supporting BC?

Methods:

A literature search on BC in pre-hospital environments was undertaken.

Results:

Paucity of literature necessitated search expansion beyond pre-hospital/ambulance focus, and use of supplementary sources of credible information from registered bereavement charities and help groups.

Conclusion:

More research is needed to better support this vulnerable, unique demographic. It is hoped that this article will encourage further discussion and research into this topic.

Outcomes of the grief and communication family support intervention on parent and child psychological health and communication

Parents and children risk developing psychological health problems following the death of a partner/parent and may need professional support. This study used the reliable change criterion and clinically significant change to examine the outcomes of the Grief and Communication Family Support Intervention, comprising three family meetings with a family therapist, among 10 parents and 14 children, using pre-post outcome scores. The results provided preliminary evidence that the Grief and Communication Family Support Intervention may improve self-esteem and reduce anxiety in some parents and may improve communication and reduce internalizing and externalizing problems in some children.

The role and value of family therapy for people living with cancer: a rapid review of recent evidence

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cancer impacts the whole family and relational system, not just the individual with the diagnosis. The present article identifies and reviews publications in the field of family therapy and cancer since 2019, to describe the theoretical models and techniques applied, and the outcomes achieved.

RECENT FINDINGS

A search of databases and grey literature led to the identification of five articles from four studies. Four papers described primary research and one summarized a case example. Papers were published by teams in the USA, Sweden and Iceland. Each article described the benefits of adopting a family therapy approach on outcomes such as family communication, bereavement and decreased carer burden. Four papers described specialist family therapists delivering the interventions, and one used oncology nurses drawing on the theories and techniques of family therapy.

SUMMARY

The rarity of family therapy publications in the past year reflects the individual-level approach to cancer which permeates both medicine and talking therapies. The utility of family therapy could be further surfaced through more large-scale studies which thoroughly describe the unique theoretical basis and techniques, alongside outcomes for multiple people within the family system.

The grief and communication family support intervention: Intervention fidelity, participant experiences, and potential outcomes

This study aimed to evaluate intervention fidelity and explore participants' experiences and potential outcomes after participating in the intervention. Using a pretest post-test pilot study, 10 parentally bereaved families completed the three-session manual-based intervention with a family therapist. Sessions were audio-recorded. Therapists completed an adherence checklist to assess fidelity. Assessments via questionnaires and interviews occurred at one month post-intervention and via questionnaires at baseline and six months post-intervention. This study showed a high level of fidelity. The study shows preliminary evidence of the intervention's capacity to improve communication and relationships in parentally bereaved families.