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Parental bereavement and the loss of purpose in life as a function of interdependent self-construal.

ABSTRACT: Children are often inextricably linked to their parents' hopes and dreams. As such, the loss of a child often represents one of the most traumatic experiences possible. The current research explores how this specific loss relates to one's sense of purpose in life. We further explore whether the loss of a child is particularly detrimental to one's sense of purpose for highly interdependent parents. Analyses of parents from the Midlife in the United States data set revealed, as expected, that the loss of child negatively predicts one's sense of purpose in life, and that this effect is most pronounced for parents high in interdependent self-construal. Potential mechanisms and implications of the present findings are discussed.

SUBMITTER: Kim J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4515542 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Parental bereavement and the loss of purpose in life as a function of interdependent self-construal.

Kim Jinhyung J Hicks Joshua A JA

Frontiers in psychology 20150727

Children are often inextricably linked to their parents' hopes and dreams. As such, the loss of a child often represents one of the most traumatic experiences possible. The current research explores how this specific loss relates to one's sense of purpose in life. We further explore whether the loss of a child is particularly detrimental to one's sense of purpose for highly interdependent parents. Analyses of parents from the Midlife in the United States data set revealed, as expected, that the ...[more]

PMID: 26284002

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Project description:ImportanceHigher purpose in life is hypothesized to reduce the likelihood of developing weak grip strength and slow walking speed because purpose has been linked with a range of positive health behaviors and biological processes that are potentially protective against declining physical function. However, the association between purpose in life and objective physical function has not been examined.ObjectiveTo assess whether higher purpose in life among adequately functioning older adults is associated with lower risk of developing weak grip strength and slow walking speed over time.Design, setting, and participantsData for a longitudinal cohort study were collected in 2006 and again in 2010 from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study of US adults older than 50 years. Data analysis was conducted from November 23, 2016, to June 2, 2017.Main outcomes and measuresThe risk of developing weak grip strength (assessed as a binary yes or no outcome) or slow walking speed (yes or no) during the 4-year follow-up period. Grip strength was assessed using Smedley spring-type hand dynamometers, and walking speed was assessed by asking respondents to walk 2.5 m at their normal walking pace.ResultsIn this study, 4486 adults had grip scores at baseline indicating adequate function (2665 women and 1821 men; mean [SD] age, 63.0 [8.2] years) and 1461 adults had walking scores at baseline indicating adequate function (801 women and 660 men; mean [SD] age, 70.8 [6.5] years). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, each 1-SD increase in purpose was associated with a 13% decreased risk (95% CI, 1%-23%) of developing weak grip strength and a 14% decreased risk (95% CI, 8%-20%) of developing slow walking speed. Associations with walking speed were maintained in all covariate models (fully adjusted model: risk ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.95), but associations with grip strength did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance after additionally adjusting for relevant baseline health factors, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors (fully adjusted model: risk ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.80-1.04).Conclusions and relevancePurpose in life was prospectively associated with a decreased risk of developing weak grip strength and slow walking speed, although the findings were more robust for walking speed than for grip strength. These findings suggest that a sense of purpose in life, a modifiable factor, may play an important role in maintaining physical function among older adults.

Project description:BackgroundNeonatal death is often preceded by end-of-life medical decisions. This study aimed to determine whether the context of death - after a decision of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (WWLST) or despite maximum care - was associated with subsequent risk of parental anxiety or depression. The secondary objective was to assess parents' perceptions of end-of-life care according to death context.MethodsProspective single center observational study of all neonatal deaths in a neonatal intensive care unit over a 5-year period. Data were collected during hospitalization and from face-to-face interviews with parents 3 months after the infant's death. Anxiety and depression were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaires, completed by parents 5 and 15 months after death.ResultsOf 179 deaths, 115 (64%) occurred after the WWLST decision and 64 (36%) despite maximum care. Parental satisfaction with newborn care and received support by professionals and relatives was higher in the first condition. Sixty-one percent of parents (109/179) attended the 3-month interview, with the distribution between groups very close to that of hospitalization. The completion rates of the HADS questionnaires by the parents who attended the 3-month interview were 75% (82/109) at 5 months and 65% (71/109) at 15 months. HADS scores at 5 months were consistent with anxiety in at least one parent in 73% (60/82) of cases and with depression in 50% (41/82). At 15 months, these rates were, respectively, 63% (45/71) and 28% (20/71). Risk of depression at 5 months was lower after a WWLST decision (OR 0.35 [0.14, 0.88], p = 0.02). Explicit parental agreement with the WWLST decision had an equivocal impact on the risk of anxiety at 5 months, being higher when expressed during hospitalization, but not at the 3-month interview.ConclusionsContext of death has a significant impact on the emotional experience of parents after neonatal loss, which underlines the importance of systematic follow-up conversations with bereaved parents.

Dataset Information

Parental bereavement and the loss of purpose in life as a function of interdependent self-construal.

Publications

Parental bereavement and the loss of purpose in life as a function of interdependent self-construal.

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