Posttraumatic growth in parents long after their child’s death from cancer—a cross-sectional survey in Switzerland

Abstract

Background: The death of a child is one of the most devastating experiences for parents, yet some may experience positive changes known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). We aimed to describe PTG in bereaved parents whose child died of cancer, compare it to PTG in parents of childhood cancer survivors, and identify sociodemographic and child-related characteristics associated with PTG in bereaved parents. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included parents who lost a child to cancer (diagnosed ≤ 18 years and > 1 year after death). Data from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study-Parents were used for comparison. We used the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) assessing five domains (appreciation of life, new possibilities, personal strength, relating to others, and spiritual change) on a 6-point scale. Results: We included 103 bereaved parents (mean age = 53.7 years, SD = 8.3; 66.7% female) of 81 deceased children (mean age at death = 9.5 years, SD = 5.9; mean time after death = 11.3 years, range 2–24 years). The PTG sum score was 63.2 (SD = 23.3, range = 4–105), which was higher than in parents of survivors (mean = 51.4; SD = 21.0, p = 0.002). Bereaved parents reported higher mean domain scores in appreciation of life (3.53, SD = 1.17 vs. 3.01, SD = 1.17, p = 0.003), personal strength (3.42, SD = 1.25 vs. 2.75, SD = 1.17, p = 0.001), relating to others (3.09, SD = 1.09 vs. 2.61, SD = 1.04 p 0.004), and new possibilities (2.69, SD = 1.26 vs. 1.97, SD = 1.17, p < 0.001). Parents within 10 years of their child’s death and those practicing religion reported higher PTG. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that cancer-bereaved parents may experience PTG after their child’s death, embracing unique positive changes according to their circumstances and influencing factors.