Chronic Sorrow Research Articles

"I am the mother of the kind of child you dread having": Experiences of living with chronic sorrow among parents with a disabled child.

Chronic sorrow involves parents' enduring grief due to their child's disability. This stems not only from the recurring painful reality parents face, which differs from the life they had hoped for their children, families, and themselves but from also being confronted with societal and personal norms and expectations they cannot meet. There is a lack of research on the lived experiences of parents' chronic sorrow. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study involving six parents with severely disabled children explored what it is like for parents to confront being "different." Besides sorrow, the parents experienced intense ambiguity, guilt, and uncertainty while navigating societal expectations and their own perceptions of their children. Their ideas of parenthood and their self-identity as parents proved central to their strategies. This study provides insight into the intricacies of this particular aspect of chronic sorrow in parents, with relevance for research and practice.

1887P Effect of logotherapy on chronic sorrow, dignity, and meaning in life of palliative care patients

1887P Effect of logotherapy on chronic sorrow, dignity, and meaning in life of palliative care patients

Effect of logotherapy counseling program on chronic sorrow, dignity, and meaning in life of palliative care patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Palliative care patients experience chronic sorrow with loss in dignity and meaning in life. Logotherapy is an effective way to cope with loss. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of logotherapy on chronic sorrow, dignity, and meaning in life of palliative care patients. This study was conducted with 58 adults hospitalized due to advanced cancer and assigned to either intervention or control group by simple randomization. Data were collected with descriptive information form, Palliative Performance Scale, Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale-Patient Form (PGDS-PF), and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MIL) on admission, at the 4th and 8th weeks. The intervention group received eight sessions of logotherapy. The control group received routine care. The mean scores of PGDS-PF (p = 0.01), PDI (p = 0.01), and searched meaning subdimension of MIL (MIL-SM) (p = 0.11) decreased in the intervention group compared to controls, both at the 4th and 8th week evaluation. The mean score of the present meaning subdimension of MIL (MIL-PM) (p = 0.02) increased at the 4th week evaluation but decreased at a non-statistically significant level at the 8th week. The mean scores of PGDS-PF and PDI increased in the control group while MIL-PM and MIL-SM decreased, both at the 4th and 8th week evaluation. Logotherapy was found effective in decreasing the sorrow and dignity-related distress of palliative care patients, while increasing finding meaning in life. Logotherapy is recommended to be used by palliative care professionals to empower patients. Clinicaltrials registration number and date: NCT05129059, 19/01/2021.

Grief among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review

Objectives Bringing up a youngster with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a multifaceted issue with major changes in family dynamics. Parents experience great distress and feel anxious or sad throughout the diagnostic process and the time after the diagnosis. There are very few studies on the aspect of grief in parents of children with ASD. Hence an attempt was made to do a systematic review of the available literature to assess the prevalence and pattern of grief among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods A systematic review of available literature was done up to November 2021. The data was extracted from the literature by two independent observers and any conflict was resolved by a third person. Results The two predominant disorders seen in these parents are grief and distress. The emotions usually described are the sense of loss leading to pain, parental expectations being put into peril, shock, turmoil, and a feeling of helplessness in family members after hearing the diagnosis. Conclusions A literature search has revealed a huge lacuna in studies related to the feelings of grief experienced by the caregivers of autistic children. Emotional stability and coping of the parents are highly essential not only for the rehabilitation of the child but also to make an improvement in the quality of life of the parents. The primary caregivers of children in the spectrum suffer very powerful and incessant emotions of sadness and grief. The feelings of mothers and fathers of children with autism from recent studies include an unexpected sense of losing a child along with shock, denial, fearfulness, guilt, rage, and/or sorrow. Two most common affective reactions of these parents were grief (“chronic sorrow” or “nonfinite grief”) and distress. The maternal experience of grief was found to be more especially in children with recent diagnoses of autism.

‘It is up to me because I gave him this life’ How the awareness of being permanently and unconditionally responsible shapes the experience of chronic sorrow in parents of disabled children

Objective The majority of parents with a disabled child experience chronic sorrow, characterized by recurrent feelings of grief and loss related to their child’s disability. There is a significant lack of research on parents’ lived experiences of chronic sorrow, which limits our ability to understand parents’ needs and provide proper support. Design Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted based on in-depth interviews with six parents of severely disabled children. Results In the literature on chronic sorrow, an important aspect has been consistently overlooked: the particular position of being a parent, experiencing an awareness of being ultimately responsible for their children. The analysis revealed how this awareness, experienced as a deeply felt ethical commitment, unconditional, largely in isolation, and without a limit in time, shaped the experience of chronic sorrow. Because of this awareness, the parents experienced themselves facing a Herculean task of navigating their intricate emotions while struggling to maintain their ability to function. Conclusions By revealing the importance of considering the unique parental position, the study enriches the concept of chronic sorrow, simultaneously offering insights into what it means to be a parent of a disabled child. These insights can improve care professionals’ responsiveness to parental needs.

Chronic Sorrow: Lived Experiences of Family Caregivers of People With Severe Mental Illness

This study explores loss experiences and trigger events of chronic sorrow among family caregivers who support a relative with a severe mental illness. Chronic sorrow is a theoretical concept describing a normal grief response associated with an ongoing loss. A total of 39 Dutch family caregivers were interviewed. They report experiencing three kinds of loss: loss of a person, loss of the former relationship, and loss of a normal life. Seven specific trigger events were identified: (a) confrontation with symptoms, (b) comparisons with developmental, social and personal norms, (c) role change, (d) deterioration, (e) hospitalization, (f) disregard and disrespect by health professionals, and (g) worries and memories. This paper suggests that mental health professionals should realize that they can (unintentionally) trigger chronic sorrow by disregarding and/or disrespecting family caregivers. Awareness of the mechanism can lead to greater understanding within and improvement of the partnership between family caregivers and health professionals.

Embracing family presence: exploring the reasons for family decision-making dependence on in-hospital palliative care for cancer patients

The implementation of home-based palliative care is widely recognized as a commendable and effective model of care provision. However, it is noteworthy that families residing in Indonesia exhibit a propensity to predominantly seek palliative care services within hospital environments for their family members afflicted with palliative-stage cancer. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the perceptions of family members in their decision-making process regarding the care of palliative-stage cancer patients at home. This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with ten Indonesian family members of palliative-stage cancer patients refusing discharge, and were analyzed using the Colaizzi method. Furthermore, the inclusion criteria were that the dominant family member who cares for the patient lives with the patient and is involved in the decision-making process. Two themes emerged from this study: i) a lack of support in decision-making, and ii) pain and chronic sorrow. Home-based palliative care for cancer patients presents significant decision-making challenges and persistent grief for families, necessitating robust support and education from healthcare professionals such as nurses and policymakers. Additionally, a national health insurance system that enables effective palliative care is crucial.

Caregiver burden among parents of children with type 1 diabetes: A qualitative scoping review

ObjectivesType one diabetes (T1D) in children places substantial responsibility on parents as caregivers. This study investigated caregiver burden in parents of children with T1D by exploring the financial, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional or psychological problems they experienced. MethodsWe conducted a qualitative scoping review of the databases PsycINFO, PROSPERO, OVID Medline, OVID EMBASE, Cochrane Library (CDSR and Central), EBSCO CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and SCOPUS. Of 119 full text articles assessed for eligibility, 18 peer-reviewed qualitative studies were included. Studies were considered relevant if they focused on diabetes management and parental burden or the experience of caregiving for a child with T1D. ResultsUsing thematic analysis, six interrelated themes were identified: (a) experiencing chronic sorrow, (b) assuming responsibility for glucose highs and lows, (c) managing T1D and nighttime sleep disturbances, (d) making career sacrifices and choices to optimize T1D care, (e) navigating social experiences postdiagnosis, and (f) discovering new sources of support through online platforms. ConclusionsThis synthesis highlights an all-encompassing experience involved in caretaking for a child with T1D. Caregiving duties lead to a constant sense of vigilance, especially due to fear of hypoglycemic incidents. Parents commonly experience challenges with balancing work demands with T1D management, which lead to career and financial sacrifices. Their burden of care is exacerbated by a lack of reliable respite care but helped somewhat by online peer support. Future research is needed on the care burden differences between mothers and fathers and how sociodemographic factors affect how caregiver burden is experienced.

Ecological Sorrow: Types of Grief and Loss in Ecological Grief

Ecological changes evoke many felt losses and types of grief. These affect sustainability efforts in profound ways. Scholarship on the topic is growing, but the relationship between general grief research and ecological grief has received surprisingly little attention. This interdisciplinary article applies theories of grief, loss, and bereavement to ecological grief. Special attention is given to research on “non-death loss” and other broad frameworks of grief. The dynamics related to both local and global ecological grief are discussed. The kinds of potential losses arising from ecological issues are clarified using the frameworks of tangible/intangible loss, ambiguous loss, nonfinite loss and shattered assumptions. Various possible types of ecological grief are illuminated by discussing the frameworks of chronic sorrow and anticipatory grief/mourning. Earlier scholarship on disenfranchised ecological grief is augmented by further distinctions of the various forms it may take. The difficulties in defining complicated or prolonged grief in an ecological context are discussed, and four types of “complicated ecological grief” are explored. On the basis of the findings, three special forms of ecological loss and grief are identified and discussed: transitional loss and grief, lifeworld loss and shattered dreams. The implications of the results for ecological grief scholarship, counselling and coping are briefly discussed. The results can be used by psychological and healthcare professionals and researchers but also by members of the public who wish to reflect on their eco-emotions. They also have implications for policy makers.

Discovering Chronic Sorrow: An Arts-Based Autoethnographic Journey With Art Therapy and Metaphor (À la découverte du chagrin chronique : un voyage autoethnographique fondé sur les arts puisant à l’art-thérapie et la métaphore)

A qualitative, arts-based autoethnographic method explored the topic of chronic sorrow through the creation and engagement of art therapy invitations. This is my personal journey and discovery of chronic sorrow as a professional art therapist and primary caregiver to my disabled child. Included in this study are unique perspectives through a first-hand lens which were discovered through art and writing reflections. Chronic sorrow is a type of living grief and non-death loss that affects parents of disabled children, among others. Various grief theories were presented with a recommended grief and bereavement model to support chronic sorrow. This recommended grief framework was applied to art therapy invitations that integrated metaphor theory, positive art therapy, and the companioning model of grief support. The purpose of the study was to explore whether resiliency could be achieved while companioning with feelings of chronic sorrow. This inquiry included 17 art invitations and 3 of these art invitations were included in this study accompanied with visual art and writing reflections.

Chronic Sorrow in Stage 4 Cancer: A Spiritual Challenge.

Living with Stage 4 cancer impacts how individuals conceptualize themselves and how they conduct their everyday lives. Within this synopsis, I describe my experiences living with progressing Stage 4 breast cancer. The construct of chronic sorrow is applied to my experiences. I suggest that grief and chronic sorrow are largely spiritual issues and give examples of my spiritual practices. Finally, recommendations are offered for healthcare professionals.

Effect of a Depression Levels using the DEMATEL Method

Depression can range from mild, moderate, temporary sad episodes to persistent, severe depression. Major depression, also referred to as major depressive disorder, is a more severe kind of depressive disorder called clinical depression. Depression, psychosis, and perinatal or postnatal depression are examples of major depressive disorder types. You could have a light, moderate, or severe sadness diagnosis. If you have any of the following symptoms, your mental health expert may determine that you are depressed: most of the time. In 82 sad patients, reduced hippocampal brain activity was seen according to an fMRI study. Patients who experience negative emotion or depression may have worse cognitive processing due to decreased grey matter and lower functional activity in the hippocampus. In the DSM-IV, severe mental illness (psychotic depression) involves depression, atypical characteristics, decreolization, periodic pattern (seasonal affective disorder), especially postpartum onset. Psychotic depression can occur alone or with psychosis. "At its most basic level, it's what some people have referred to as 'the blues' - the sensation of being unfulfilled in life." When less severe depressive symptoms remain for at least two years, a condition known as chronic depressive disorder, or mild depression, may apply to low-grade depression. A mild but persistent form of depression is called dysthymia. Persistent depression disorder is another name for it. Major depression is occasionally a symptom of this illness. It can be an early sign of depression One of the above clinical conditions (Wilson and many others. Individuals with Alzheimer's disease see a steady decrease in their ability to handle stress. Gartner (1997) put up an intermediary theory for employing individualized music to calm the crowd that takes these components into account. According to the notion, music stimulates the memory of previous events and reveals the prospect of memories connected to pleasant emotions. a calming impact that lessens or calms frantic actions. Failure to mention a depressed mood to one's doctor is relatively typical among Chinese people (Lai & Good 2005; Yeung et al. 2004). Chinese people with depression's views on their health A person with clinically severe depression exhibits a variety of symptoms that affect their performance, including chronic melancholy, a low mood, or a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, according to one study that concentrated on their physical symptoms. Yet, a person with clinically severe depression also exhibits a number of additional depressive symptoms that impair their ability to go about their daily lives, such as chronic sorrow, a low mood, or a lack of enthusiasm for tasks they once found enjoyable. DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) They are divided into analysis using the Nonmetal mineral product industry, General equipment manufacturing, Mining and washing of coal, Textile industry, Food manufacturing industry It is the interaction between the factors Visualized and assesses dependent relationships Through the structural model Also deals with identifying important. Depression Levels,Anxiety Levels, Stress Levels, Major depression and Antenatal and postnatal depression. Depression Levels in Depression Levels is got the first rank whereas is the Stress Levels is having the Lowest rank. Depression Levels in Depression Levels is got the first rank whereas is the Stress Levels is having the Lowest rank.

“I’m his Mum and it is My Job to Keep him Safe”: Mothering a Child Living with Facial Eye Disfigurement

Mothering a child who lives with a disability, or a congenital facial condition can impact quality of life. This appertains to relationships, isolation, and feelings exclusion, can result in ongoing vigilance, grief, and may be addressed via faith and future hope. In this IPA study we explore the lived experience of a non-facially disfigured mother mothering her child Living with Facial Eye Disfigurement (LwFED). Semi-structured interviews were used to collect rich data which were analysed to reveal emergent and overarching themes. We found that our participant is constantly vigilant in response to her son’s blindness and disfigurement. This impacts his schooling and her relationships. Isolation impacts all facets of the quality of life of our participant including seeking respite, exhaustion, and relationships. She acknowledges grief and chronic sorrow. As a mother, she encounters comments and stares from strangers in social situations. Our participant uses her strong faith to attempt to find balance in her life and to envisage a future for her son. We offer the narrative of one mother with a child LwFED. We do not draw generalisations but suggest resonances with the lived experiences of others. We recommend further research, advocacy and professional support for families and society to change culture.

Effect of Diet on Depression: A Review of Nutritional Solutions

Depression is a mental illness with several categories that have common symptoms such as chronic sorrow, lack of interest, lack of pleasure, mood swings between guilt and poor self-esteem, sleep disturbances, and a loss of appetite. Over 300 million individuals globally suffer from depression, and the socioeconomic cost of this debilitating disorder is expected to rise dramatically in the future decades.
 Behavioral health illnesses can be prevented and treated to some extent with dietary and nutritional means. Nutritional psychiatry has produced observational and effectiveness evidence regarding the role of healthy dietary patterns in the onset and treatment of depressive symptoms. Diet is associated with depressive symptoms or depression, meaning that an increase in depressive disorders coincide with a deterioration in healthy living choices, including poor quality diets.
 Healthy eating habits and adequate intake of essential nutrients via the diet can help prevent and treat depression by reducing symptoms of mental illness. In addition, because nutrition is a modifiable risk factor for depression, it is practical for the public to consider dietary changes to reduce the prevalence of depressive disorders.
 This paper reviews the potential value of diet-based actions to manage depression, and ways in which dietary changes could be made to improve mental and cognitive health. Furthermore, some practical solutions for preventing and controlling depression are proposed based on health-related effects of improving dietary habits and life style.

A propósito de un caso: «cada vez está más desviolinada»

The aging process involves an accumulation of significant losses, and if it occurs in a person with a chronically high-complexity illness, they would find themselves in a vulnerable situation. Therefore, providing effective care requires a person-centered approach, necessitating support to cope with the new situation. In 1998, Eakes et al. developed a Middle Range Theory (MRT) focused on chronic sorrow, offering a conceptual framework to understand individual reactions and guide professionals in addressing a person who has experienced a significant loss.

Strengthening Rehabilitation Professional Identities: Including Grief Education as a Psychosocial Aspect of Disability

The primary objective of this paper is to call attention to rehabilitation counseling educators and leaders to include grief support as part of the rehabilitation counseling training curriculum. Disability and chronic illness have long been associated with loss, death anxiety, and chronic sorrow. The prevailing model of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability emanated from grief theories and has been well conceptualized and applied in both understanding disability experiences and providing effective services. However, rehabilitation counselors have expressed a lack of competency and confidence in understanding grief as a psychosocial concept and providing grief support for people with chronic illness and disabilities. Too often, pervasive understanding of grief and loss has been associated with pathology and prescriptive notions, which have been criticized by clinicians and scholars in bereavement research and practice. To address this concern, this paper proposes including grief support education in rehabilitation counselor training curricula. In addition, several suggestions are made for program design and implementation within the context of CACREP curricula requirements.

Families of Children with Disabilities: Challenges and Coping Strategies in Some Selected Towns of Arsi Zone

The purpose of this study was to investigate the common challenges that families faced and the different coping strategies they employed in bringing up their children with disability in some selected towns of Arsi Zone. Arsi zone is found in central Ethiopia located in the Oromia region state about 175 kilometers from Addis Ababa. Researcher employed a qualitative research design. Ten interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted with parents of children with disabilities who send their children to Arsi zone government schools that have special classes for such children. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit the study participants. A digital recorder was used to record all the interviews and focus group discussions. The results indicate that parents of children with disabilities experience common challenges including objective challenges (problems associated with time constraint, financial burden, impact on day to day activities, lack of social support) and subjective challenges (Feeling of consistent chronic sorrow, less social interaction). They described experiences of their positive perceptions in raising their children and discuss coping strategies that have been most helpful to them such as beliefs in God, evaluating child’s progress, service provision and experience sharing. They also indicated their strong needs about vocational training for their children.

Healing from Childhood Loss.

Childhood loss creates environmental challenges that disrupt the integrity of body-mind-spirit, having profound lifelong effects on both health outcomes and life satisfaction. The author in this report describes a middle-range theory of healing childhood loss, which can be used to guide practice and research. Theoretical influences are Levine's conservation model of nursing, the theory of chronic sorrow, and the adverse childhood experiences pyramid. Strategies to support healing of childhood loss are particularly needed and timely during this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, with prolonged disruption of normal childhood activities and concern about a possible increased incidence of adverse childhood experiences.

The Experience of Chronic Sorrow among Indonesian Mothers Who have Suffered Recent Perinatal Loss

Background: Perinatal death results in physical loss of a child as well as symbolic loss (loss of self, hope and self-esteem) experienced by many parents. Loss is often expressed via a grief response that can develop into chronic sorrow. Ineffective coping strategies may increase susceptibility to complications associated with chronic sorrow. These complications can include clinical depression, dysthymic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attachment disorder, drug dependence, psychosis, and suicidal ideation. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the barriers and facilitators to chronic sorrow particularly among vulnerable populations. 
 Aim: To explore the experience of chronic sorrow among Indonesian women who have suffered perinatal loss. 
 Methods: The present qualitative study utilized a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants included women who experienced chronic sorrow due to perinatal loss within the past seven weeks to three years. Maximum variation sampling was used based on women’s current number of children. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. 
 Results: Three key themes emerged from the data: (1) recurrent experiences of grief are common particularly when exposed to certain triggers (memories from pregnancy, mementos); (2) adequate coping strategies and emotional support are needed to help treat grief; and (3) specific characteristics of chronic sorrow are associated with perinatal loss, such as grief that feels diminished and the presence of another child serving as both a cure and a trigger of sorrow. 
 Conclusion: Chronic sorrow as a result of perinatal loss is experienced repeatedly when mothers face certain triggers. We have identified two characteristics (diminished grief, having another child serve to both cure and trigger sorrow) that are specific to the experience of chronic sorrow compared to that of general grief. It is important to understand the experience of chronic sorrow and how coping strategies and a support system can help grieving mothers to overcome their loss.

Predictors of Perceived Family Sense of Coherence in Parents of Children with Cancer

Objectives:Despite improvement in childhood cancer survival in recent decades, it is still an extremely challenging health condition for parents. The impacts of childhood cancer on the family as a whole are recently interested by researchers. Family coherence is one of these concepts and health-care providers need to understand the perception of parents of family coherence. This study aimed to assess the correlation between perceived family sense of coherence (SOC) in parents of children with cancer; with socio-demographic, psycho-emotional and family-related variables.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional correlational study recruited 125 parents of children with cancer attending hospitals in Tehran in 2020, selected by convenience sampling method. The correlation between family SOC and demographic variables, chronic sorrow, coping behaviours, family functioning and social support was investigated using regression analysis.Results:The mean score perceived sense of family coherence in parents of children with cancer was higher in fathers (Beta = 0.17, P = 0.02), urban residents (beta = –0.2, P = 0.01) and homeowners (beta = –0.27, P = 0.001). The sense of family coherence had positive correlations with income grade (beta = 0.27, P = 0.006), coping behaviours (beta = 1.28, P = 0.002), social support (beta = 0.67, P = 0.001), negative correlations with the disturbance in family problem-solving (beta = –0.28, P = 0.006) and chronic sorrow (beta=-0.39, P = 0.001).Conclusion:The present study expanded the concept of family SOC in nursing knowledge and attracted the attention of the providers of family-centred care to the parents of children with cancer and their concerns, which directly and indirectly affect the entire family’s health.