A death in the family: parental bereavement in the first year

This article examines parents' descriptions of their experiences in the first year after a child's death from cancer or a blood disorder. Interviews and questionnaires were used to gather information from 145 parents of children treated for oncologic or hematological diseases at a large, urban pediatric hospital who died during the years 1975 through 1979. Descriptive and survey data revealed differences between maternal and paternal mourning. Men and women differed significantly to the extent to which they encountered distance and lack of comfort in spousal relationships and difficulty during first year post-death holidays. Findings are discussed in light of the nature of relationships with the deceased child and other family members.