6 research outputs found
Couple’s Relationship After the Death of a Child: a Systematic Review
When a child dies, the parents must address the
changes in their relationship as well as the way that these
changes affect their individual adjustment. These two
perspectives are addressed in this systematic review. Five
databases were systematically searched for papers published
in English between January 2000 and February
2014. Of the 646 publications, 24 papers met the inclusion
criteria. The results suggest that a child’s death can cause
cohesive as well as detrimental effects on a couple’s relationship.
Variables that may produce differential outcomes
for the marital relationship include situational factors, such
as the cause and type of death and the child’s age at the
time of death; dyad-level factors, such as surviving children,
the pre-death characteristics of the relationship,
communication and incongruent grieving; and individuallevel
factors, such as the family of origin’s processing of
trauma, social support, religious affiliation and finding
meaning. Aspects such as marital quality and the couple’s
interdependence were found to influence each parent’s individual
adjustment. Larger, prospective, ethically conducted
studies should be implemented to consolidate these
findings. Mental health professionals may benefit from a
deeper understanding of the risk and protective factors
regarding marital adjustment after a child’s death