Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate levels of perceived family cohesion during childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood in cancer‐bereaved youths compared with non‐bereaved peers.MethodsIn this nationwide, population‐based study, 622 (73%) young adults (aged 18‐26) who had lost a parent to cancer 6 to 9 years previously, when they were teenagers (aged 13–16), and 330 (78%) non‐bereaved peers from a matched random sample answered a study‐specific questionnaire. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsCompared with non‐bereaved youths, the cancer‐bereaved participants were more likely to report poor family cohesion during teenage years (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% CI, 1.0‐2.4, and 2.3, 95% CI, 1.5‐3.5, for paternally and maternally bereaved youths, respectively). This was also seen in young adulthood among maternally bereaved participants (OR 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6‐4.1), while there was no difference between paternally bereaved and non‐bereaved youths. After controlling for a number of covariates (eg, year of birth, number of siblings, and depression), the adjusted ORs for poor family cohesion remained statistically significant. In a further analysis stratified for gender, this difference in perceived poor family cohesion was only noted in females.ConclusionTeenage loss of a parent to cancer was associated with perceived poor family cohesion during teenage years. This was also noted in young adulthood among the maternally bereaved. Females were more likely to report poor family cohesion. Our results indicate a need for increased awareness of family cohesion in bereaved‐to‐be families with teenage offspring, with special attention to gender roles.
Highlights
Losing a parent is one of the most tragic experiences that can occur in the life of a child or adolescent.[1]
Higher prevalence of perceived poor family cohesion was reported in all groups during the teenage years
When asked about family cohesion today, ie, at the time of the survey in young adulthood, 8.4% of the paternally bereaved participants reported poor family cohesion, while the prevalence was at 19.5% among those who had lost their mother, in comparison with 8.8% of the non‐bereaved youths (Figure 1)
Summary
Losing a parent is one of the most tragic experiences that can occur in the life of a child or adolescent.[1]. It has been associated with increased mental health problems in parentally bereaved children.[12,13] family cohesion mediates the effects of parental bereavement on adolescents.[7,14] in previous reports from this project, poor family cohesion has been strongly associated with adverse outcome.[15]
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