Cancer: How parents cope with the loss of a child
The research project "Bereavement care for parents of childhood cancer patients" has been completed. The study offers important insights into how parents and families cope with the loss of a child and the types of support they require.
The research team led by Professor Gisela Michel, Professor of Health and Social Behaviour, examined a range of aspects of parental grief. These included families’ coping strategies, bottlenecks in paediatric palliative care, and the needs of parents after the death of their child. The completed study shows that grief is an individual, long-term and highly complex process.
Resilience and the importance of social structure
One focus of the research was how parents cope with their grief over the long term. The findings show that many parents whose child has died from cancer develop a high level of resilience. This can have a protective effect against severe psychological stress and reduce the risk of prolonged grief disorder. At the same time, the study revealed that financial difficulties significantly weaken resilience and are associated with higher emotional distress. The results therefore highlight the central importance of social and financial security for the mental health of grieving parents.
Another part of the study addressed the widespread assumption that grief becomes easier with time. Contrary to this belief, the researchers found that the psychological strain experienced by many parents changed very little, even years or decades after their loss. While some parents were able to cope well with their grief regardless of how much time had passed, others continued to experience severe emotional distress more than ten years later. These findings make clear that time alone does not ease the pain and that bereaved parents require long-term access to support services.
Between pain and growth
Alongside the burdens associated with grief, the project also examined possible positive changes following the loss of a child, referred to as post-traumatic growth. Many parents reported a greater appreciation for life, increased personal strength, deeper relationships and new perspectives. Such growth was particularly pronounced among parents whose loss had occurred less than ten years ago and among those with religious affiliations. The findings show that grief can involve not only pain, but also personal development, meaning-making and change.
In addition, the research explored the ongoing pain experienced by grieving parents, the role of unexplainable experiences in the grieving process, and the importance of cold storage facilities in hospitals. These facilities allow parents to spend more time with their deceased child and can make the farewell more meaningful.
Research continues
With the completion of the study - funded by Cancer Research UK and the Cancer League of Central Switzerland from August 2020 to July 2024 - a comprehensive picture of parental grief following the death of a child from cancer is now available. The data will continue to be analysed and published on an ongoing basis. Taken together, the results show clearly that grief counselling must be long-term, individualised and structurally well established. In this way, the project makes an important contribution to improving support for grieving parents and families.
