Date of this Version

6-1-2018

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to describe adolescents’ responses at 7 and 13 months to siblings’ NICU/PICU/ED death. At 7 months, adolescents were asked about events around the sibling’s death; at 7 and 13 months, about concerns/fears, feelings, and life changes. Seventeen adolescents participated (13-18 years; M=15); 65% Black, 24% Hispanic, 11% White. Themes included death circumstances, burial events, thinking about the deceased sibling, fears, and life changes. Adolescents reported shock and disbelief that the sibling died; 80% knew the reason for the death; many had difficulty getting through burials; all thought about the sibling. From 7 - 13 months fears increased including losing someone and thoughts of dying. Adolescents reported more changes in family life and greater life changes in them (more considerate, mature) by 13 months; some felt friends abandoned them after the sibling’s death. Girls had more fears and changes in family life and themselves. Adolescent’s responses to sibling death may not be visually apparent. One recommendation from this study is to ask adolescents how they are doing separately from parents since adolescents may hide feelings to protect their parents, especially their mothers. Older adolescents (14-18 years) and girls may have more difficulty after sibling death.

Comments

Author's Accepted Manuscript

The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at J Hosp Palliat Nurs

Download

Share

COinS
 

Rights Statement

Rights Statement

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).