Factors associated with Quality of Life of Parents who Lost Children in the Sewol Ferry Disaster

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to (1) explore current levels of quality of life, depression, resilience and social support and (2) investigate factors associated with quality of life among parents who lost children in the Sewol ferry disaster. Methods: Data for this descriptive and correlation study was collected from December 2016 to June 2017. Structured questionnaires were completed by 114 parents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multivariate linear regression. Results: Lower levels of quality of life were reported by parents with no current occupation, who considered emotional support by others as not helpful, not disclosing self as family of a victim, experiencing change in social activities related to the disaster, and not participating in bereavement activities with other families (all p values <.05). Factors associated with quality of life were depression (β=-.53) and resilience (β=.26) and explained 48.0% variance (F=50.37, p<.001), while social support was not a significant factor. Conclusion: Our study findings provide fundamental information on the mental health status of families of the Sewol ferry disaster victims. Nursing interventions to improve quality of life of parents who lost their children in the disaster should emphasize both managing depression and improving resilience.