| 1. |
- Angelhoff, Charlotte, medicine doktor, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Communication, self-esteem and prolonged grief in parent-adolescent dyads, 1-4 years following the death of a parent to cancer
- 2021
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Ingår i: European Journal of Oncology Nursing. - : Elsevier BV. - 1462-3889 .- 1532-2122. ; 50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: Talking and grieving together may be advantageous for maintaining belief in a meaningful future and can help bereaved adolescents and their parents to cope better with the situation. The aim of this study was to explore communication, self-esteem and prolonged grief in adolescent-parent dyads, following the death of a parent to cancer.METHOD: This study has a descriptive and comparative design. Twenty family dyads consisting of parentally bereaved adolescents (12-19 years) and their widowed parents completed the Parent and Adolescent Communication Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Prolonged Grief-13, 1-4 years following the death of a parent.RESULTS: Twelve family dyads reported normal-high parent-adolescent communication, 11 dyads rated normal-high self-esteem. Two adolescents and three parents scored above the cut-off for possible prolonged grief disorder (≥35), none of these were in the same dyads. There was a difference (p < .05) between boys (mean 40.0) and girls (mean 41.9) with regard to open family communication, as assessed by parents. Girls reported lower self-esteem (mean 26.0) than boys (mean 34.1, p < .01).CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights from parentally bereaved families which indicate that despite experiencing the often-traumatic life event of losing a parent or partner, most participants reported normal parent-adolescent communication, normal self-esteem and few symptoms of prolonged grief. The potential usefulness of identifying families who may need professional support in family communication following the death of a parent is discussed.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Bartholdson, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Communication about diagnosis and prognosis : A population-based survey among bereaved parents in pediatric oncology
- 2022
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Ingår i: Psycho-Oncology. - : Wiley. - 1057-9249 .- 1099-1611. ; 31:12, s. 2149-2158
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is affected, and parents struggle to grasp challenging information regarding diagnosis and prognosis. Most parents and children want honest communication and openness, yet this remains a complex and challenging task for healthcare professionals.OBJECTIVES: To describe bereaved mothers' and fathers' reports of communication of their child's cancer diagnosis and when the illness became incurable.METHODS: Data from a Swedish population-based survey conducted in 2016, including 135 mothers and 97 fathers who had lost a child to cancer 1-5 years earlier, were studied regarding the parents' reports of communication about their child's illness.RESULTS: A vast majority of parents wants information when their child's illness becomes incurable, and this need is generally met. However, fathers to a lesser extent than mothers, reported that they were informed about it. According to parents' reports 87 % of children received diagnostic information and 44 % of the children received prognostic information.CONCLUSION: A vast majority of both mothers and fathers would like to know when their child's illness becomes incurable, yet it remains unknown to what extent they want their child to be informed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Bondjers, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Psychometric Properties of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in parents to children with burns.
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common problem among parents of children with burns. However, there is a paucity of evaluated screening tools for this population. The aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), which is recently revised in accordance to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th ed. Methods The participating parents (N= 62, mean age= 38) completed self-report questionnaires 0.8-5.6 years after their child’s burn. Measures were the PCL-5 (consisting of four subscales; Intrusion, Avoidance, Negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and Arousal and reactivity), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (with three subscales; Intrusion, Avoidance and Hyperarousal) and the Perceived Stress Scale. The children had a TBSA burned ranging from 1 to 31 % and were 0.1-15.0 years of age at injury.Results The average PCL-5 scores were low to moderate and indicated that no parent was above the recommended preliminary cut off of 38 for PTSD. Cronbach’s alpha values were acceptable and varied between 0.56 and 0.77 for the four PCL-5 subscales and mean inter-item correlations ranged from 0.22 to 0.73. The PCL-5 subscales were positively correlated with the corresponding IES-R subscales as well as the total PSS score (p<.05). There were no associations between the PCL-5 and burn severity (TBSA, TBSA-FT, and LOS), time since injury, child age or gender, or parent gender. Conclusion In conclusion, the PCL-5 had high internal consistency and evaluation of concurrent validity suggested moderate associations with other measures of traumatic stress and perceived stress as expected. The moderate associations with other measures of stress is to be expected, taking into account the slightly different constructs targeted by the three measures in this study. This first study suggests that the PCL-5 is a psychometrically sound instrument that deserves further evaluation as a screening tool for parents of children with burns.
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| 5. |
- Cernvall, Martin, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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A pilot study of user satisfaction and perceived helpfulness of the Swedish version of the mobile app PTSD Coach
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Journal of Psychotraumatology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8198 .- 2000-8066. ; 9:Suppl 1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There is a need for accessible interventions in the aftermath of traumatic events with documented efficacy for preventing or reducing negative mental health consequences. The PTSD Coach is a mobile app that has shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSS). Objective: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the user satisfaction, perceived helpfulness and potential reductions of PTSS and symptoms of depression among participants using the Swedish version of the PTSD Coach. Method: This was an uncontrolled pre-test post-test open trial including participants recruited from the community via advertisement and from an ongoing observational study who had experienced a potentially traumatic event in the last five years. Participants had access to the Swedish PTSD Coach app for four weeks. Results: Eleven participants (mean age = 38.6, female = 8) completed the study. Nine of the participants met criteria for full or partial PTSD. Results from the PTSD Coach Survey indicated that participants found the app slightly to moderately helpful and were slightly to moderately satisfied with the app. Nominal but not statistically significant reductions of medium effect sizes in PTSS (PCL-5) and depression (PHQ-9) from pre- to post-assessment were found. In interviews, participants indicated that they found elements such as learning about PTSD, breathing exercises and monitoring symptoms helpful in managing symptoms. However, several participants indicated that they had not used the app as much as they had intended to. Participants also had suggestions for improvements such as enhanced app structure and better guidance regarding how to use the app. Conclusions: The perceived helpfulness and user satisfaction were slightly lower compared to research on the original version of the app. Experiences from the study are discussed and a future controlled study of the Swedish version of the PTSD Coach is suggested.
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| 6. |
- Eklund, Rakel, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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A Mobile App for Prolonged Grief among Bereaved Parents : Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2021
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Bereaved parents have elevated risk to develop mental health problems, yet, few studies have evaluated the effect of psychosocial interventions developed for bereaved parents. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), both face-to-face or digitally delivered, has shown to be an effective intervention for prolonged grief symptoms. Self-help mobile apps offer various advantages and studies show improved mental health after app interventions. No app has yet been evaluated targeting prolonged grief in bereaved parents. Therefore, the aim of this planned study is to develop and examine the effectiveness of a CBT-based mobile app, called My Grief, in reducing symptoms of prolonged grief, as well as other psychological symptoms, in bereaved parents. Another aim is to assess users’ experiences and adverse events of My Grief.Methods and analysis: We will conduct a two-armed randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Parents living in Sweden, who lost a child to cancer between one and ten years ago, with elevated symptoms of prolonged grief, will be recruited to participate in the trial. The content of My Grief covers four main domains (Learn; Self-monitoring; Exercises; Get support) and builds on principles of CBT and the proven-effective PTSD Coach app. Participants in the intervention group will fill out online questionnaires at baseline and at 3-, 6- and 12-months follow-ups, and the waitlist-controls at baseline and at 3 months. The primary outcome will be prolonged grief symptoms at the 3 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes are posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms, quality of life, and cognitive behavioral variables (i.e., avoidance, rumination, negative cognitions).Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been received from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (project no. 2021-00770). If the app is shown to be effective, the app will be made publicly accessible on app stores, so that it can benefit other bereaved parents.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT04552717.
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| 7. |
- Eklund, Rakel, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Daily uplifts during the COVID-19 pandemic : what is considered helpful in everyday life?
- 2022
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Nature. - 1471-2458. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundKnowledge of what is uplifting and helpful during pandemics could inform the design of sustainable pandemic recommendations in the future. We have explored individuals’ views on helpful and uplifting aspects of everyday life during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.MethodsParticipants answered a brief, daily survey via text messages during 14 consecutive days in July–August, 2020. The survey included the question: “During the past 24 hours, is there anything that has made you feel good or helped you in your life?” We used content analysis to compile responses from 693 participants, who provided 4,490 free-text answers, which resulted in 24 categories subsumed under 7 themes.ResultsPositive aspects during the COVID-19 pandemic primarily related to social interactions, in real life or digitally, with family, friends and others. Other important aspects concerning work, colleagues and maintaining everyday life routines. One theme concerning vacations, going on excursions and being in nature. Leisure and recreation activities, such as hobbies and physical exercise, also emerged as important, as did health-related factors. Bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings and activities that benefited well-being were mentioned frequently. Lastly, people commented on the government strategies for containing COVID-19, and whether to comply with restrictions.ConclusionsTo summarize, daily uplifts and helpful aspects of everyday life centered around social relationships. To comply with recommendations on physical distancing, people found creative ways to maintain social connections both digitally and face-to-face. Social interaction, maintenance of everyday life routines, hobbies and physical activity appeared to be important for well-being.
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| 8. |
- Eklund, Rakel, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Daily uplifts during the COVID-19 pandemic: What is considered helpful in everyday life?
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Knowledge about what has been experienced as uplifting and helpful during the pandemic could inform sustainable pandemic recommendations. Objective: We explored individuals’ views on helpful and uplifting aspects of their everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Participants answered a brief, daily survey via SMS for 14 consecutive days during July-August, 2020. The survey included the question: “During the past 24 hours, is there anything that has made you feel good or helped you in your life?”. We used content analysis to compile the responses from 693 participants who provided 4490 free-text answers, which resulted in 25 categories subsumed under 7 themes. Results: Positive aspects during COVID-19 primarily related to social interactions, in real life or digitally, with family, friends, and others. Other important aspects concerned work and colleagues, as well as leisure and recreation activities, such as hobbies and physical exercise. As the data collection took place during the summer, one theme concerned vacation, doing excursions, and being in nature. Nevertheless, maintaining everyday life routines emerged as important. Participants also mentioned health-related factors. Sensations, thoughts, feelings, and activities that benefited wellbeing were frequently reported. Lastly, people were writing about the government strategies for containing COVID-19, and whether to comply with restrictions. Conclusions: Daily uplifts and helpful aspects of everyday life centered around social relationships. During recommendations for social distancing, people find creative ways to maintain their social connections digitally and face-to-face. Social interaction, maintenance of everyday life routines, hobbies and physical activity appears important for wellbeing during pandemics.
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| 9. |
- Eklund, Rakel, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Mobile App for Prolonged Grief among Bereaved Parents : Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 11:12, s. e052763-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bereaved parents, who have lost a child, have an elevated risk to develop mental health problems, yet, few studies have evaluated the effect of psychosocial interventions developed for bereaved parents. Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT), both face to face or digitally delivered, has shown to be an effective intervention for prolonged grief symptoms. Self-help mobile apps offer various advantages and studies show improved mental health after app interventions. No app has yet been evaluated targeting prolonged grief in bereaved parents. Therefore, the aim of this planned study is to develop and examine the effectiveness of a CBT-based mobile app, calledMy Grief,in reducing symptoms of prolonged grief, as well as other psychological symptoms, in bereaved parents. Another aim is to assess users’ experiences and adverse events ofMy Grief.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a two-armed randomised waitlist-controlled trial. Parents living in Sweden, who lost a child between one and ten years ago, with elevated symptoms of prolonged grief, will be recruited to participate in the trial. The content ofMy Griefcovers four main domains (Learn; Self-monitoring; Exercises; Get support) and builds on principles of CBT and the proven-effectivePTSD Coachapp. Participants in the intervention group will fill out online questionnaires at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months follow-ups, and the waitlist-controls at baseline and at 3 months. The primary outcome will be prolonged grief symptoms at the 3 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes are post-traumatic stress and depression symptoms, quality of life and cognitive behavioural variables (ie, avoidance, rumination, negative cognitions).Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been received from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (project no. 2021-00770). If the app is shown to be effective, the app will be made publicly accessible on app stores, so that it can benefit other bereaved parents.Trial registration numberNCT04552717.
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| 10. |
- Eklund, Rakel, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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My Grief App for Prolonged Grief in Bereaved Parents : A Pilot Study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychiatry. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-0640. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The death of a child is a devastating experience for most parents. Consequently, bereaved parents are at risk to develop physical and mental health problems, including prolonged grief disorder. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evaluated psychosocial interventions for bereaved parents. The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of the My Grief app for bereaved parents. The secondary aim was to evaluate the potential reduction of symptoms of prolonged grief, depression and post-traumatic stress, and cognitive-behavioral processes proposed to prolong grief reactions. The study was a mixed-method open trial design, using pre- and post-intervention surveys and post-intervention interviews. Thirteen parents had access to the app for 4 weeks, eight parents participated in interviews and 10 parents answered the follow-up survey. The study provided evidence for the app's feasibility and acceptability, with participants reporting satisfaction with the app and stating that they would recommend it to parents in similar situations. According to the participants, the app was easy to use, the content gave a feeling of not being alone or weird in how one grieves, and the app gave a valuable overview of information, knowledge and further support. In addition, all parents expressed that an app like My Grief is needed and would be particularly useful to access early in the grieving process. Significant reductions of prolonged grief symptoms (d(within) = 0.86) and grief-related rumination (d(within) = 0.72), loss avoidance (d(within) = 0.95) and negative cognitions (d(within) = 1.36) from pre- to post-assessment were found. In conclusion, the app appears acceptable and feasible to use and will be evaluated in a larger randomized controlled trial (Trial registration number: NCT04552717, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04552717).
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