Supporting the Bereaved in the COVID-19 Era: A Scoping Review of Interventions.

People whose family member(s) friend(s) have died from COVID-19 or other causes have been deeply affected by the physical and social restrictions imposed during the pandemic. These limitations have affected end-of-life care and support for the bereaved. The purpose of this review is to identify: the published studies of evaluated programs about interventions for people who have experienced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to develop recommendations for researchers and policy makers. Using scoping review methodology, a literature review was undertaken for articles published from January 1, 2020 through February 28, 2023 to identify interventions shown to be beneficial to people who have experienced the death of loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. The search yielded 1588 articles of which three studies met the criteria of utilizing a pre and post-test design with only one of these, a randomized controlled trial. The interventions included in this review demonstrate preliminary efficacy.

Patterns and predictive value of acute prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in youngsters confronted with traumatic loss: A latent class analysis.

Deaths of relatives and peers in potentially traumatizing circumstances may lead to symptoms of prolonged grief (PG, e.g.,yearning, preoccupation) and posttraumatic stress (PTS, e.g., re-experiencing, hypervigilance). There is limited knowledge about how symptoms of PG and PTS co-occur following such events. The current study aimed to identify patterns of DSM-5-TR defined PG symptomatology and PTS in a sample of 213 youngsters, involved in a school bus accident killing seven peers 2 months earlier. Using latent class analysis, three groups were identified evidencing moderate endorsement of most symptoms (Class 1), high endorsement of almost all but the avoidance symptoms (Class 2), and high endorsement of almost all symptoms (Class 3), respectively. Classes differed in terms of levels of grief, PTS, and depression, assessed concurrently, and-in a subgroup of n=137 participants-assessed at 16 month follow-up. E.g., Class 3 membership was associated with a greater likelihood of meeting criteria for DSM-5-TR defined prolonged grief disorder at follow-up. Gender (fewer females in Class 1) but not age and proximity to the accident were associated with class membership. Findings indicate that it is important to identify groups with elevated PG and PTS early after traumatic bereavement who may be en route to persistent mental health problems.

International Standards for Pediatric Palliative Care: From IMPaCCT to GO-PPaCS.

CONTEXT: Since the publication of the IMPaCCT project in 2007, much effort has been made to develop new approaches to pediatric palliative care (PPC). Fifteen years later, it is time to redefine the standards in PPC. OBJECTIVES: An international group of experts in PPC has revised the standards in PPC through the GO-PPaCS project (Global Overview - PPC Standards). The goal was to update the PPC standards considering the specificity of different settings, resources, and emerging challenges. The present document is intended to reach all people directly or indirectly involved in PPC. METHODS: A literature review in MEDLINE was conducted to expand on the fundamental points and current standards on PPC and to cover an international setting. The literature search (updated on the 15th of April 2021) was carried out using different combinations of keywords and focusing on papers published in English over the past 5 years (2016-2020), but older articles were considered when relevant. The consensus on the fundamental points, standards of care and paper contents was reached by open discussion. RESULTS: Fundamental points were defined regarding the definition of PPC, eligibility criteria and the magnitude of the need for PPC, while standards were redefined for the following six areas: 1) clinical, developmental, psychological, social, ethical and spiritual needs; 2) end-of-life care; 3) care models and settings of care; 4) PPC in humanitarian emergencies; 5) care tools; and 6) education and training for healthcare providers. CONCLUSION: The present document, developed with the contribution of an international group of experts from different countries, experiences and models of care, provides fundamental points and standards for a wider implementation of PPC worldwide.

Peer loss: Posttraumatic stress, depression, and grief symptoms in a traumatized adolescent community.

In our prospective study, 168 adolescents exposed directly or indirectly to the same traumatic event-a fatal school bus accident-in which seven students were killed instantly, were assessed for post-traumatic stress, depression and grief symptoms at 2- and 18-months post-accident. Prevalence rates of likely PTSD and depression were noted across all types of physical proximity exposure: 77.6% and 48.1% respectively in the indirectly exposed group, 79.4% and 47.1% respectively in the directly in-the-area exposed group, and 77.8% and 42.1% respectively in the directly in-bus exposed group. One-fifth experienced high and unremitting levels of grief symptoms over time ("persistent grief"); 17% with initially high levels of grief symptoms showed a decrease at 18 months but were still within the low medium range ("towards recovery"); 39% with initially medium/high grief symptoms reported low levels of grief at the follow-up ("recovery"); and 23% of the participants experienced grief symptoms that remained persistently low ("resilient"). The absence of both PTSD and depression at 18 months predicted adjustment to loss, whereas the absence of depression at 18 months predicted a recovering course of grief. The findings highlight the impact of high levels of post-traumatic stress and depression symptoms on the long-term persistent grief outcome.

Home or hospital as the place of end-of-life care and death: A grounded theory study of parents' decision-making.

BACKGROUND: While several studies have examined 'what' families want with regard to the place of a child's end-of-life care and death, few have explored 'how' parents reach a decision. AIMS: (1) to develop a model explaining how parents of a child with a life-threatening illness in Greece decide about the place of end-of-life care and death; (2) to identify the factors affecting decision-making; (3) to consider the implications for clinical practice. DESIGN: Grounded theory study of bereaved parents using semi-structured open-ended interviews following Strauss and Corbin's principles of data collection and analysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Semi-structured interviews with 36 bereaved parents of 22 children who died at home (n = 9) or in a paediatric hospital (n = 13) in Athens, Greece. RESULTS: (1) Decisions regarding place of care and death were reached in one of four ways: consensus, accommodation, imposition of professional decisions on parents or imposition of parents' decisions without including professionals. (2) Six factors were identified as affecting decisions: awareness of dying, perceived parental caregiving competence, perceived professional competence, parents' view of symptom management, timing of decision-making, and being a 'good parent'. (3) Decisions were clear-cut or shifting. Few parents did not engage in decisions. CONCLUSION: Parents' decisions about place of end-of-life care and death are affected by personal, interpersonal, timing and disease-related factors. Parents are best supported in decision-making when information is presented clearly and honestly with recognition of what acting as 'good parents' means to them, and opportunities to enhance their caregiving competence to care for their child at home, if they choose so.

Psychometric Properties of the Revised Death Attitude Profile in a Greek Sample of Nurses.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Revised Death Attitude Profile (DAP-R) in a sample of Greek nurses and nursing students. METHODS: A convenience sample (n = 934) was used from six National Health System hospitals, and two University Schools of Nursing in central and northern Greece completed the Greek version of the DAP-R (Gr-DAP-R). RESULTS: Principal component analysis with varimax rotation revealed a six-factor solution, including approach acceptance, death avoidance, escape acceptance, neutral acceptance, fear of death, and after death concerns. The internal consistency for each of the subscales ranged from 0.64 to 0.88. Intercorrelations between the Gr-DAP-R subscales supported the relative independence of death attitudes dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The Gr-DAP-R can be used as a research and clinical tool in assessing death attitudes among Greek nurses.

Palliative care professional's perceptions of barriers and challenges to accessing children's hospice and palliative care services in South East London: A preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: Several barriers have been identified as preventing or delaying access to children's palliative care services. The aim of this study is to further explore such barriers from palliative care professionals' perspective from two London boroughs. METHODS: Qualitative-five children's palliative care professionals' perceptions were obtained from semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: availability and adequacy of child palliative care (e.g., unreliability of services), obstacles to accessing palliative care (e.g., logistical challenges), and cultural values and family priorities. CONCLUSION: These findings contribute to the equal opportunities dialogue in this sector and the need for future research to address the challenges identified.

Adolescents' trajectory through peer loss after a road traffic accident.

This mixed method study investigated the short- and long-term effects of peer loss on eight adolescents after a fatal school bus accident. Phenomenological analysis of their retrospective narratives revealed three patterns (living in despair, collecting my pieces, remembering, and moving on). Quantitative findings indicate progressive decrease in post-traumatic stress symptoms severity across time; increase in positive changes in perceptions of self, others, and life between 18 and 34 months; and stable continuing bond with the deceased peers.

Challenges in Engaging Parents in the Drug and Alcohol Treatment: The Professionals' Perspective.

Addiction treatment centers often fail to involve families in treatment. The aim of the present study was to explore the challenges that Greek mental health professionals encounter in their work with parents of drug and alcohol abusers. A qualitative study design was adopted, and five focus group discussions were conducted with 27 drug and alcohol professionals. The thematic analysis of their accounts revealed the key difficulties that professionals encounter in their collaboration with parents that included parental lack of involvement or over-engagement in treatment, unrealistic expectations, ambivalence or opposition to change, ethical dilemmas, and alliance issues, as well as collaboration challenges among therapists. Findings highlight the challenges of a family approach in the treatment of addiction, and underscore the value of clinical supervision in addition to specialized training, to help professionals work on their anxiety, anger, guilt, prejudices, and deception, when engaging parents in the treatment of their addicted child.

From Infertility to Successful Third-Party Reproduction: The Trajectory of Greek Women.

The purpose of our phenomenological hermeneutic study was to explore the lived experiences of Greek infertile women who achieve a pregnancy through the use of sperm, oocyte, or embryo donation or surrogate motherhood. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 infertile women. Findings suggest that conceiving a child through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is lived as a highly distressing experience, comprising long waiting periods for medical results, several failed attempts, and treatment options with uncertain outcomes. The analysis of women's accounts revealed a constitutive pattern, journeying between hope and despair, and three associated themes: (a) coping with uncertainty and treatment failures, (b) exploring options and decision making, and (c) being supported by spouse and professionals. Findings illuminate the specific meaning-based coping processes, decision-making patterns, and sources of support that help women who pursue treatment until they give birth to a child, to manage highly stressful situations and critical decisions.

Surrogacy: The experience of Greek commissioning women.

BACKGROUND: Available studies on surrogacy are extremely limited. Findings suggest that surrogacy is experienced as problem free, with a significant number of commissioning mothers maintaining contact with the surrogates over time. AIM: To explore the experiences of Greek commissioning women regarding the surrogacy arrangement and birth of a child through surrogacy. METHODS: The data of this study were collected from 7 intended mothers who had either a long history of infertility or serious health problems. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and analysed employing content analysis. FINDINGS: The analysis of the women's accounts revealed three themes: (a) a shared journey, (b) the birth of a long-awaited child, and (c) the surrogacy disclosure. The surrogacy process became the women's affairs, with their partners offering backstage support. A very close bond was developed with the surrogates, characterised by daily contacts and care-giving behaviours. While this bond was abruptly discontinued after the child's birth, it was interiorised with all participants being grateful to their surrogate. The timing and content of the surrogacy disclosure to family and child(ren) were carefully chosen by participants, who avoided providing information when egg donation was involved. CONCLUSION: Findings are reassuring for women who want to parent a child through a surrogate arrangement, and suggest that the availability of counselling services may help intended mothers to cope with disclosure issues.

Impact of Job Satisfaction on Greek Nurses' Health-Related Quality of Life.

BACKGROUND: Employee job satisfaction and its relationship with health and quality of life has been an issue of major concern over the past decades. Nurses experience difficult working conditions that affect their job satisfaction, health, and quality of life. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in three general hospitals and their respective health centers. Stratified random sampling by level of education was used, and 508 nurses and nursing assistants were included. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire, which included the Measure of Job Satisfaction, the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, as well as demographic details, education, and work conditions data, was used. RESULTS: Greek nurses were found to be dissatisfied with their job according to the total score of the job satisfaction scale, although personal satisfaction and satisfaction with support had had higher scores. Their general health was reported as average, because of physical and mental health problems, low vitality, low energy, and increased physical pain. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that males and those wishing to stay in the job had higher physical and mental health. Increased job satisfaction was related to increased physical and mental health. CONCLUSION: Although Greek nurses are not satisfied with their work, those with high levels of job satisfaction had better health-related quality of life. The findings suggest that improvement of the work environment would contribute to a healthier and more satisfied nursing workforce.

International multiprofessional course in pediatric palliative care: benefits and challenges.

BACKGROUND: The "International Paediatric Palliative Care Course" (IPPCC) was held for the second time in Germany. The goals of the course were to impart knowledge and skills, to share experience and network, and to improve multiprofessional work. METHODS: Design, content, and rationale for the course were described. Participants who had attended the first and second course were compared with respect to place of origin, demographics, and professional background. The reasons for attending the course were analysed. RESULTS: Health care professionals from 35 countries attended the two courses, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and others. The major reasons for coming were to acquire knowledge and skills and to network with other professionals. The international multiprofessional course included lectures and workshops on specific challenges in pediatric palliative care as well as practical demonstrations. CONCLUSION: The IPPCC was designed to meet the challenges arising for the multiprofessional participants coming from a variety of professions, countries with diverse resources, needs, and approaches to practice. Future courses might include additional sessions on research, development of pediatric palliative care services, as well as discipline-specific sessions. Funding is necessary to specifically support professionals coming from low-income economies.

Adolescents' reactions after a wildfire disaster in Greece.

This cross-sectional study examined the factors associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in 1,468 adolescents, 6 months after a wildfire. The rate of probable PTSD was 29.4% and 20% for probable depression. Findings on predisaster, disaster-related, and postdisaster factors revealed that disaster-related factors-specifically objective and perceived threat to self and others-were associated with symptoms of PTSD but not depression. Predisaster life events, postdisaster losses, and escape-oriented coping strategies were associated with higher levels of both PTSD and depression symptoms, while control-oriented coping and perceived social support were differentially associated with symptoms of and depression. Findings have implications for the assessment and treatment of traumatized and depressed adolescents after a disaster.

'The patient is my space': hermeneutic investigation of the nurse-patient relationship in critical care.

BACKGROUND: The nurse-patient relationship has been postulated to lie at the core of nursing care. However, it is unclear how this concept applies in critical care, as a great majority of critically ill patients are unable to communicate. AIMS: Through a phenomenological hermeneutical perspective, we aimed to explore intensive care nurses' perceptions and meanings regarding their interpersonal relationship with critically ill individuals. METHODS: A Heideggerian hermeneutical approach was used to design the study and analyse the data, which were collected through repetitive interviews with 12 intensive care nurses. RESULTS: Critical care nurses report to experience deep relationships with patients, which seem to be mediated by the ongoing contact with patients' bodies. These relationships evoke intense feelings of love, empathy and care and affect how nurses perceive and make sense of their role and their world. The identified core theme of their experience is entitled 'syncytium', which describes a network of closely connected cells. According to participants' perceptions, nurse and patient affect each other reciprocally and are mutually dependent upon each other. In Heideggerian terms patients provide nurses with opportunities to experience 'authentic care' and they participate in their 'being-in-the-world', thus they are central in nurses' meanings about their role and existence. Other elicited themes that account for the perceived nurse-patient relationship include the spatiality/temporality of the relationship, nurses' perceptions and meanings attributed to their role and nurses' perceptions of death. CONCLUSIONS: Critical care nurses appear to experience their relationships with patients intensely. These relationships are invested with meanings and elicit powerful feelings over a shared course with patients. Patients are central in nurses' meaning-making process and role perception. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: These findings have implications for the educational preparation of critical care nurses and their psychological support.

Can individuals who are specialists in death, dying, and bereavement contribute to the prevention and/or mitigation of armed conflicts and cycles of violence?

Specialists in death, dying, and bereavement and their consequences for individuals, families, and communities have experience and research findings that are relevant to an understanding of the reactions of individuals faced by deadly violence. At such times, powerful emotions and ingrained patterns of thought and behavior can given rise to disproportionate responses that may feed into cycles of violence. An extended table shows how professionals helping individuals and families faced with violent death share common aims with those aiming to help larger social units faced with armed attacks. It follows that these professionals should work together to improve death education, to prepare people for possible deadly violence and, where possible, to suggest alternatives, to create secure places and relationships in which communication becomes possible, bad news can be broken and understood, feelings examined, differences reconciled, and people can redirect anger into the prevention of escalation rather than its perpetuation. All of these activities hold out hope that cycles of deadly violence can be broken as well as mitigating the consequences when they are not. The undoubted success of the worldwide palliative care movement resulted from the recognition of serious deficiencies in existing services, the provision of an inclusive, holistic, program that extends across medical, social psychological, and spiritual realms of discourse, providing care for patients and their families, irrespective of wealth, race, religion, and political persuasion, by dedicated leaders and teams backed by education and information services and organized across geographical boundaries. It is argued here that the time is ripe for a similar commitment to bring to an end the scandal of armed conflict by a similarly multidisciplinary, multicultural effort to relieve the suffering that both causes and results from armed conflict. This must remain independent of race, religion, political persuasion, and opposing sides and could build upon the leadership, educational models, information services, and international organizations that already exist for the provision of palliative and bereavement care.

Quality of life of adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life of Greek survivors of childhood cancer by addressing the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions of their functioning. The SF-36 Health Survey and the Quality of Life Questionnaire, which was designed for this study, were used. Survivors' scores on most subscales of SF-36 were similar to those of controls, despite some difficulties in their daily activities. They perceived self as more susceptible to health problems, but also more mature and grounded. Generally, they seem to adapt well and focus on the positive aspects of their cancer experience, which enhances the meaning and quality of their life.

Paediatric palliative care: challenges and emerging ideas.

Paediatric palliative care is an emerging subspecialty that focuses on achieving the best possible quality of life for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. To achieve this goal, the individuals working in this field need to: clearly define the population served; better understand the needs of children with life-threatening conditions and their families; develop an approach that will be appropriate across different communities; provide care that responds adequately to suffering; advance strategies that support caregivers and health-care providers; and promote needed change by cultivating educational programmes. Despite these challenges, advances in paediatric palliative care have been achieved in a short period of time; we expect far greater progress as the field becomes more formalised and research networks are established.

Psychosocial functioning of young adolescent and adult survivors of childhood cancer.

GOALS OF WORK: The present study aimed to assess the psychosocial well-being of Greek adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer and, in particular, self-esteem, anxiety, coping strategies, and social functioning. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample comprised 103 Greek childhood cancer survivors and 135 healthy controls. The Battle Culture-free Self-esteem Inventory (BCSEI), the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Lazarus and Folkman Ways of Coping, and 36-item short-form instruments were used along with The Questionnaire for the Quality of Life. MAIN RESULTS: Survivors scored higher than controls on all STAI subscales, but on State, the difference was statistically significant only for female adults, while on the Trait subscale, for the entire group. Survivors scored lower on Personal and higher on Lie subscale of BCSEI, by comparison to controls. When coping with stressful events, the use of self-blame strategies and wishful thinking were more frequent among controls, while distancing strategies more common among survivors. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term psychological functioning of Greek survivors of childhood cancer is satisfactory, with emotional difficulties, such as increased anxiety and lower self-esteem, receding over time. Survivors experience personal growth and mature through trauma as they develop a positive view of the impact that the cancer experience has upon their life.

The decision-making process of parents regarding organ donation of their brain dead child: a Greek study.

The purpose of this qualitative study, which was part of a larger study on parental bereavement, was to explore the decision-making process of parents who were invited to donate the organs and tissues of their brain dead child. Research objectives were to investigate how parents reach a decision and which factors affect consent or refusal regarding organ donation. The experiences of 22 parents of 14 brain dead children, hospitalized in two pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in Athens, were studied through semi-structured interviews. Data collection and analysis of the overall study were performed according to grounded theory methodology. Factors that influenced parents' decisions were identified and classified into (a) personal factors, (b) conditions of organ request, (c) parents' prior knowledge and experience with organ donation or serious illness, and (d) interpersonal factors. Findings can help care providers to facilitate the decision-making process and respond to parental needs while taking into account the socio-cultural context within which decisions are made. The donation request is meaningful and effective when it is integrated into an approach that offers ongoing support to parents who are faced with the unexpected death of their child.