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Family cohesion predicts long-term health and well-being after losing a parent to cancer as a teenager : :A nationwide population-based study

Birgisdóttir, Dröfn LU ; Bylund-Grenklo, Tove ; Kreicbergs, Ulrika ; Steineck, Gunnar ; Fürst, Carl Johan LU and Kristensson, Jimmie LU (2023) In PLoS ONE 18(4).
Abstract
Background:
Parentally bereaved children are at increased risk of negative consequences, and the mediating factors most consistently identified are found to be related to family function after the loss, including cohesion. However, existing evidence is limited, especially with respect to children and youths’ own perception of family cohesion and its long-term effects on health and well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate self-reported family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer and its association to long-term psychological health and well-being among young adults that were bereaved during their teenage years.

Method and participants:
In this nationwide population-based study,... (More)
Background:
Parentally bereaved children are at increased risk of negative consequences, and the mediating factors most consistently identified are found to be related to family function after the loss, including cohesion. However, existing evidence is limited, especially with respect to children and youths’ own perception of family cohesion and its long-term effects on health and well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate self-reported family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer and its association to long-term psychological health and well-being among young adults that were bereaved during their teenage years.

Method and participants:
In this nationwide population-based study, 622 of 851 (73%) young adults (aged 18–26) responded to a study-specific questionnaire six to nine years after losing a parent to cancer at the age of 13 to 16. Associations were assessed with modified Poisson regression.

Results:
Bereaved youth that reported poor family cohesion the first year after losing a parent to cancer had a higher risk of reporting symptoms of moderate to severe depression six to nine years after the loss compared to those reporting good family cohesion. They also had a higher risk of reporting low levels of well-being, symptoms of anxiety, problematic sleeping and emotional numbness once a week or more at the time of the survey. These results remained statistically significant after adjusting for a variety of possible confounding factors.

Conclusion:
Self-reported poor family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer was strongly associated with long-term negative psychological health-related outcomes among bereaved youth. To pay attention to family cohesion and, if needed, to provide support to strengthen family cohesion in families facing bereavement might prevent long-term suffering for their teenage children. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adolescent, Bereavement, Cancer, Anxiety, Depression, Family cohesion, Oncology, Parental death, Palliative care, End-of-life care, End-of-life, Sleeping problems, Teenagers, Young adult
in
PLoS ONE
volume
18
issue
4
article number
e0283327
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85152486530
  • pmid:37043474
ISSN
1932-6203
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0283327
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fce74349-f92d-48ee-8266-5b246feb34f9
date added to LUP
2023-04-13 12:02:18
date last changed
2024-02-19 18:43:10
@article{fce74349-f92d-48ee-8266-5b246feb34f9,
  abstract     = {{Background:<br/>Parentally bereaved children are at increased risk of negative consequences, and the mediating factors most consistently identified are found to be related to family function after the loss, including cohesion. However, existing evidence is limited, especially with respect to children and youths’ own perception of family cohesion and its long-term effects on health and well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate self-reported family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer and its association to long-term psychological health and well-being among young adults that were bereaved during their teenage years.<br/><br/>Method and participants:<br/>In this nationwide population-based study, 622 of 851 (73%) young adults (aged 18–26) responded to a study-specific questionnaire six to nine years after losing a parent to cancer at the age of 13 to 16. Associations were assessed with modified Poisson regression.<br/><br/>Results:<br/>Bereaved youth that reported poor family cohesion the first year after losing a parent to cancer had a higher risk of reporting symptoms of moderate to severe depression six to nine years after the loss compared to those reporting good family cohesion. They also had a higher risk of reporting low levels of well-being, symptoms of anxiety, problematic sleeping and emotional numbness once a week or more at the time of the survey. These results remained statistically significant after adjusting for a variety of possible confounding factors.<br/><br/>Conclusion:<br/>Self-reported poor family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer was strongly associated with long-term negative psychological health-related outcomes among bereaved youth. To pay attention to family cohesion and, if needed, to provide support to strengthen family cohesion in families facing bereavement might prevent long-term suffering for their teenage children.}},
  author       = {{Birgisdóttir, Dröfn and Bylund-Grenklo, Tove and Kreicbergs, Ulrika and Steineck, Gunnar and Fürst, Carl Johan and Kristensson, Jimmie}},
  issn         = {{1932-6203}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescent; Bereavement; Cancer; Anxiety; Depression; Family cohesion; Oncology; Parental death; Palliative care; End-of-life care; End-of-life; Sleeping problems; Teenagers; Young adult}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{4}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLoS ONE}},
  title        = {{Family cohesion predicts long-term health and well-being after losing a parent to cancer as a teenager : :A nationwide population-based study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283327}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.pone.0283327}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}