Couple’s Relationship After the Death of a Child: A Systematic Review

Journal of Child and Family Studies

Volumn 25, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 30-53

  Albuquerque, Sara ^a,b   Pereira, Marco ^a   Narciso, Isabel ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF COIMBRA   (Portugal)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LISBON   (Portugal)

Author keywords

Couple relationship; Death of a child; Dyadic interdependence; Marital adjustment; Parental bereavement

Indexed keywords

EID: 84953355296     PISSN: 10621024     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10826-015-0219-2     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. Arnold, J., Gemma, B. P., & Cushman, L. F. (2005). Exploring parental grief: Combining quantitative and qualitative measures. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing,19, 245–255. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2005.07.008.
2. Barrera, M., O’Connor, K., D’Agostino, N. M., Spencer, L., Nicholas, D., Jovcecska, V., et al. (2009). Early parental adjustment and bereavement after childhood cancer death. Death Studies,33, 497–520. doi:10.1080/07481180902961153.
3. Bergstraesser, E., Inglin, S., Hornung, R., & Landolt, M. A. (2014). Dyadic coping of parents after the death of a child. Death Studies,. doi:10.1080/07481187.2014.920434.
4. Berman, W., & Sperling, M. (1995). The structure and function of adult attachment. In M. Sperling & W. Berman (Eds.), Attachment in adults (pp. 1–31). New York: The Guilford Press.
5. Bolton, J. M., Au, W., Leslie, W. D., Martens, P. J., Enns, M. W., Roos, L. L., & Sareen, J. (2013). Parents bereaved by offspring suicide: A population-based longitudinal case-control study. JAMA Psychiatry,70, 158–167. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.275.
6. Bowen, M. (1976). Family reaction to death. In P. J. Guerin (Ed.), Family therapy: Theory and practice (pp. 335–358). New York: Gardner.
7. Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss (Vol. III). New York: Basic Books Inc.
8. Cook, A. S. (1995). Ethical issues in bereavement research: An overview. Death Studies,19, 103–122. doi:10.1080/07481189508252719.
9. Cook, W. L., & Kenny, D. A. (2005). The actor-partner interdependence model: A model of bidirectional effects in developmental studies. International Journal of Behavioral Development,29, 101–109.
10. Dyregrov, K. (2004). Bereaved parents’ experience of research participation. Social Science and Medicine,58, 391–400. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00205-3.
11. Dyregrov, A., & Gjestad, R. (2011). Sexuality following the loss of a child. Death Studies,35, 289–315. doi:10.1080/07481187.2010.527753.
12. Eilegård, A., & Kreicbergs, U. (2010). Risk of parental dissolution of partnership following the loss of a child to cancer: A population-based long-term follow-up. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,164, 100–101. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.247.
13. Essakow, K. L., & Miller, M. M. (2013). Piecing together the shattered heirloom: Parents’ experiences of relationship resilience after the violent death of a child. American Journal of Family Therapy,41, 299–310. doi:10.1080/01926187.2012.701590.
14. Gilbert, K. R. (1989). Interactive grief and coping in the marital dyad. Death Studies,13, 605–626. doi:10.1080/07481188908252336.
15. Hooghe, A., Mol, J. D., Baetens, I., & Zech, E. (2013). The measurement of couple and family interactions and relationship quality in bereavement research. Family Science,4, 66–78. doi:10.1080/19424620.2013.821761.
16. Hooghe, A., Neimeyer, R. A., & Rober, P. (2011). The complexity of couple communication in bereavement: An illustrative case study. Death Studies,35, 905–924. doi:10.1080/07481187.2011.55335.
17. Jack, L, Jr, Hayes, S. C., Scharalda, J. G., Stetson, B., Jones-Jack, N. H., Valliere, M., et al. (2010). Appraising quantitative research in health education: Guidelines for public health educators. Health Promotion Practice,11, 161–165. doi:10.1177/1524839909353023.
18. Kamm, S., & Vandenberg, B. (2001). Grief communication, grief reactions and marital satisfaction in bereaved parents. Death Studies,25, 569–582. doi:10.1080/07481180126576.
19. Klass, D. (1986). -87. Marriage and divorce among bereaved parents in a self-help group. Omega,17, 237–249. doi:10.2190/T8L3-UVD8-J2RD-TLLB.
20. Kuper, A., Lorelei, L., & Levinson, W. (2008). Critically appraising qualitative research. British Medical Journal,337, 1035–1035. doi:10.1136/bmj.a1035.
21. Laakso, H., & Paunonen-Ilmonen, M. (2002). Mothers’ experience of social support following the death of a child. Journal of Clinical Nursing,11, 176–185. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.2002.00611.x.
22. Lang, A., & Gottlieb, L. (1993). Parental grief reactions and marital intimacy following infant death. Death Studies,17, 233–255. doi:10.1080/07481189308252620.
23. Lyngstad, T. H. (2013). Bereavement and divorce: Does the death of a child affect parents’ marital stability? Family Science,4, 79–86. doi:10.1080/19424620.2013.821762.
24. Murphy, S. A., Johnson, L. C., & Lohan, J. (2003a). Finding meaning in a child’s violent death: A five year prospective analysis of parents’ personal narratives and empirical data. Death Studies,27, 381–404. doi:10.1080/07481180302879.
25. Murphy, S. A., Johnson, L. C., Wu, L., Fan, J. J., & Lohan, J. (2003b). Bereaved parents’ outcomes 4 to 60 months after their children’s death by accident, suicide, or homicide: A comparative study demonstrating differences. Death Studies,27, 39–61. doi:10.1080/07481180302871.
26. National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools, (2008). Quality assessment tool for quantitative studies. Hamilton, ON: McMaster University. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.nccmt.ca/registry/view/eng/14.html.
27. Neimeyer, R. A. (Ed.). (2001). Meaning reconstruction and the experience of loss. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
28. Oliver, L. E. (1999). Effects of a child’s death on the marital relationship: A review. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying,39, 197–227. doi:10.2190/1L3J-42VC-BE4H-LFVU.
29. Paley, N. (2008). Partners in grief: Couples’ narratives of the transition from pediatric palliative care into bereavement. Unpublished doctoral thesis, British Columbia University, Vancouver, Canada.
30. Polatinsky, S., & Esprey, Y. (2000). An assessment of gender differences in the perception of benefit resulting from the loss of a child. Journal of Traumatic Stress,13, 709–718. doi:10.1023/A:1007870419116.
31. Rando, T. A. (2000). Clinical dimensions of anticipatory mourning: Theory and practice in working with the dying, their loved ones, and their caregivers. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
32. Reilly-Smorawski, B., Armstrong, A. V., & Catlin, E. A. (2002). Bereavement support for couples following the death of a baby: Program development and 14-year exit analysis. Death Studies,26, 21–37. doi:10.1080/07481180210145.
33. Rellias, B. U. (2001). The trauma of the sudden death of a child: The impact on couple relationship. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda.
34. Rogers, C. H. (2005). The effect of the death of a child on midlife mental and physical health: An exploration of risk and resilience factors. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Georgia State University, Atlanta.
35. Rogers, C. H., Floyd, F. J., Seltzer, M. M., Greenberg, J., & Hong, J. (2008). Long-term effects of the death of a child on parents’ adjustment in midlife. Journal of Family Psychology,22, 203–211. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.2.203.
36. Rosenblatt, P. C. (2000). Parent grief: Narratives of loss and relationship. Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis.
37. Rosenblatt, P. C. (2013). Family grief in cross-cultural perspective. Family Science,4, 12–19. doi:10.1080/19424620.2013.819226.
38. Schwab, R. (1992). Effects of a child’s death on the marital relationship: A preliminary study. Death Studies,16, 141–154. doi:10.1080/07481189208252564.
39. Schwab, R. (1998). A child’s death and divorce: Dispelling the myth. Death Studies,22, 445–468. doi:10.1080/074811898201452.
40. Shapiro, E. R. (2001). Grief in interpersonal perspective: Theories and their implications. In M. S. Stroebe, R. O. Hansson, W. Stroebe, & H. Schut (Eds.), Handbook of bereavement research: Consequences, coping, and care (pp. 301–327). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
41. Song, J., Floyd, F. J., Seltzer, M. M., Greenberg, J. S., & Hong, J. (2010). Long-term effects of child death on parents’ health-related quality of life: A dyadic analysis. Family Relations,59, 269–282. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00601.x.
42. Stroebe, M., Finkenauer, C., Wijngaards-de Meij, L., Schut, H., van den Bout, J., & Stroebe, W. (2013a). Partner-oriented self-regulation among bereaved parents: The costs of holding in grief for the partner’s sake. Psychological Science,24, 395–402. doi:10.1177/0956797612457383.
43. Stroebe, M., Schut, H., & Finkenauer, C. (2013b). Parents coping with the death of their child: From individual to interpersonal to interactive perspectives. Family Science,4, 28–36. doi:10.1080/19424620.2013.819229.
44. Stroebe, M., Stroebe, W., & Schut, H. (2003). Bereavement research: Methodological issues and ethical concerns. Palliative Medicine,17, 235–240. doi:10.1191/0269216303pm768rr.
45. Titus, B., & Souza, R. (2011). Finding meaning in the loss of a child: Journeys of chaos and quest. Health Communication,26, 450–460. doi:10.1080/10410236.2011.554167.
46. Toller, P., & Braithwaite, D. O. (2009). Grieving together and apart: Bereaved parents’ contradictions of marital interaction. Journal of Applied Communication Research,37, 257–277. doi:10.1080/00909880903025887.
47. Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care,19, 349–357. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzm042.
48. Ungureanu, I., & Sandberg, J. G. (2010). “Broken Together”: Spirituality and religion as coping strategies for couples dealing with the death of a child: A literature review with clinical implications. Contemporary Family Therapy,32, 302–319. doi:10.1007/s10591-010-9120-8.
49. Vollbehr, A. S. (2011). The effect of (in)congruent grieving and grief intervention on marital satisfaction in bereaved parents. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Utrecht University & York University, Toronto, Canada.
50. Wallerstedt, C., Lilley, M., & Baldwin, K. (2003). Interconceptional counseling after perinatal and infant loss. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing,32, 533–542. doi:10.1177/0884217503255264.
51. Walsh, F., & McGoldrick, M. (2004). When a family deals with loss: Adaptational challenges, risk, and resilience. In D. R. Catherall (Ed.), Handbook of stress, trauma, and the family (pp. 393–415). New York: Brunner-Routledge.
52. Wheeler, I. (2001). Parental bereavement: The crisis of meaning. Death Studies,25, 51–66. doi:10.1080/07481180126147.
53. Wijngaards-de Meij, L., Stroebe, M., Schut, H., Stroebe, W., van den Bout, J., van der Heijden, P. G. M., & Dijkstra, I. (2005). Couples at risk following the death of their child: Predictors of grief versus depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,73, 617–623. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.73.4.617.
54. Wijngaards-de Meij, L., Stroebe, M., Schut, H., Stroebe, W., van den Bout, J., van der Heijden, P. G. M., & Dijkstra, I. (2007). Patterns of attachment and parents’ adjustment to the death of their child. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,33, 537–548. doi:10.1177/0146167206297400.
55. Wijngaards-de Meij, L., Stroebe, M., Schut, H., Stroebe, W., van den Bout, J., van der Heijden, P. G. M., & Dijkstra, I. (2008). Parents grieving the loss of their child: Interdependence in coping. British Journal of Clinical Psychology,47, 31–42. doi:10.1348/014466507X21615.
56. Wing, D. G., Burge-Calloway, K., Clance, P. R., & Armistead, L. (2001). Understanding gender differences in bereavement following the death of a child: Implications for treatment. Psychotherapy: Theory Research, Practice, Training,38, 60–72. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.38.1.60.