Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 352-359 , October 2010

Grandparent's Health and Functioning After a Grandchild's Death

  • JoAnne M. Youngblut, PhD, RN, FAAN

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing & Health Sciences
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: JoAnne M. Youngblut, PhD, RN, FAAN.
    • ,
  • Dorothy Brooten, PhD, RN, FAAN

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing & Health Sciences
    • ,
  • Kathleen Blais, EdD, RN

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing & Health Sciences
    • ,
  • Jean Hannan, MSN, RN

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing & Health Sciences
    • ,
  • Theophile Niyonsenga, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Stempel School of Public Health, Florida International University

References 

  1. American Association of Retired Persons . The Grandparent Study 2002 report. Washington, DC: AARP; 2002;
  2. Barer BM. The “grands and greats” of very old Black grandmothers. Journal of Aging Studies. 2001;15:1–11
  3. Blustein J, Chan S, Guanais FC. Elevated depressive symptoms among caregiving grandparents. Health Services Research. 2004;39:1671–1689
  4. Burnett D. Custodial grandparents in Latino families: Patterns of service use and predictors of unmet needs. Social Work. 1999;44(1):22–34
  5. DeFrain JD, Jakuls DK, Mendoza BL. The psychological effects of sudden infant death on grandmothers and grandfathers. Omega. 1991–1992;24:165–183
  6. Drew LA, Smith PK. The impact of parental separation divorce on grandparent–grandchild relationships. International Journal of Aging & Human Development. 1999;48:191–216
  7. Drew LM, Smith PK. Implications for grandparents when they lose contact with their grandchildren: Divorce, family feud, and geographical separation. Journal of Mental Health and Aging. 2002;8:95–119
  8. Easthope T. Grandparent grief: Nipped in the bud. The Forum. 2003;29:4–5
  9. Eliopoulos, C. (2009). Gerontological nursing, 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  10. Fletcher PN. Experiences in family bereavement. Family & Community Health. 2002;25:57–70
  11. Fry PS. Grandparents' reactions to the death of a grandchild: An exploratory factor analytic study. Omega. 1997;35:119–140
  12. Galinsky N. The death of a grandchild: A complex grief. The Forum. 2003;29:6–7
  13. Gibbons C, Jones TC. Kinship care: Health profiles of grandparents raising their grandchildren. Journal of Family Social Work. 2003;7(1):1–14
  14. Grossman D. Cuban-Americans. In:  Purnell L,  Paulanka B editor. Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. Philadelphia: FA Davis; 1997;p. 189–215
  15. Hagestad GO, Lang M. The transition to grandparenthood: Unexplored issues. Journal of Family Issues. 1986;7:115–130
  16. Hardy-Bougere M. Cultural manifestations of grief and bereavement: A clinical perspective. Journal of Cultural Diversity. 2008;15:66–69
  17. Harwood J. Comparing grandchildren's and grandparents' stake in their relationship. International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 2001;53:195–210
  18. Heiney SP, Ruffin J, Goon-Johnson K. The effects of a support group on selected psychosocial outcomes of bereaved parents whose child died from cancer. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. 1995;12(2):51–58
  19. Hines Smith S. “Now that mom is in the Lord's arms, I just have to live the way she taught me”: Reflections on an elderly, African American mother's death. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 1999;32:41–51
  20. Hines Smith S. “Fret no more my child…for I'm all over heaven all day”: Religious beliefs in the bereavement of African American, middle-aged daughters coping with the death of an elderly mother. Death Studies. 2002;26:309–323
  21. Kennedy GE. Grandchildren's reasons for closeness with grandparents. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality. 1991;6:697–712
  22. Kolomer SR, McCallion P, Janicki MP. African-American grandmother carers of children with disabilities: Predictors of depressive symptoms. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 2002;37(3/4):45–63
  23. Kruk E. Grandparent–grandchild contact loss: Findings from a study of “grandparent rights” members. Canadian Journal of Aging. 1995;14:737–754
  24. Laasko H, Paunonen-Ilmonen J. Mothers' grief following the death of a child. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2001;36:69–77
  25. Laurie A, Neimeyer R. African Americans in bereavement: Grief as a function of ethnicity. OMEGA. 2008;57:173–193
  26. Lobar SL, Youngblut JM, Brooten D. Cross-cultural beliefs, ceremonies, and rituals surrounding death of a loved one. Pediatric Nursing. 2006;32:44–50
  27. Munet-Vilaro F. Grieving and death rituals of Latinos. Oncology Nursing Forum. 1998;25:1761–1763
  28. Murphy SA. A bereavement intervention for parents following the sudden, violent deaths of their 12- to 28-year-old children: Description and applications to practice. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 1997;29(4):51–72
  29. Murrell SA, Himmelfarb S, Phifer JF. Effects of bereavement/loss and pre-event status on subsequent physical health in older adults. International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 1988;27(2):89–107
  30. Musil CM. Health of grandmothers as caregivers: A ten month follow-up. Journal of Women & Aging. 2000;12(1-2):129–145
  31. Musil CM, Ahmad M. Health of grandmothers: A comparison of caregiver status. Journal of Aging and Health. 2002;14(1):96–121
  32. Musil C, Youngblut J, Ahn S, Curry V. Parenting stress: A comparison of grandmothers and mothers. Journal of Mental Health and Aging. 2002;8(3):197–210
  33. National Center for Health Statistics . www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hus/child.htm2005;accessed March 20, 2005
  34. Neighbors HW, Musick MA, Williams DR. The African American minister as a source of help for serious personal crises: Bridge or barrier to mental health care?. Health Education & Behavior. 1998;25:759–777
  35. Nunn PE. A study examining the health perceptions and parenting stressors of parenting African American grandparents. ABNF Journal. 2002;13(5):99–102
  36. Oikonen J, Brownlee K. Family therapy following perinatal bereavement. Family Therapy. 2002;29:125–140
  37. Oliver RC, Fallat ME. Traumatic childhood death: How well do parents cope?. Journal of Trauma. 1995;39:303–307
  38. Perry HL. Mourning and funeral customs of African Americans. In:  Irish DP,  Lundquist KF,  Nelsen VJ editor. Ethnic variations in dying, death, and grief. Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis; 1993;p. 51–65
  39. Ponzetti JJ, Johnson MA. The forgotten grievers: Grandparents' reactions to the death of grandchildren. Death Studies. 1991;15:157–167
  40. Ponzetti JJ. Bereaved families: A comparison of parents' and grandparents' reactions to the death of a child. Omega. 1992;25:63–71
  41. Reed ML. Grandparents' grief—who is listening?. The Forum. 2003;29:1–3
  42. Rivera-Andino J, Lopez L. When culture complicates care. RN. 2000;63(7):47–49
  43. Saiki-Craighill S. The grieving process of Japanese mothers who have lost a child to cancer, part I: Adjusting to life after losing a child. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. 2001;18:260–267
  44. Saiki-Craighill S. The grieving process of Japanese mothers who have lost a child to cancer, part II: Establishing a new relationship from the memories. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. 2001;18:268–275
  45. Schmid, L. S. (2000). The lived experience of grandparents who have lost a grandchild from perinatal death: A phenomenological study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati. UMI Order AAI9978983.
  46. Silverstein M, Chen X. The impact of acculturation in Mexican American families on the quality of adult grandchild–grandparent relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family. 1999;61:188–198
  47. Talamantes MA, Lawler WR, Espino DV. Hispanic American elders: Caregiving norms surrounding dying and the use of hospice services. The Hospice Journal. 1995;10(2):35–49
  48. Timberlake EM, Chipungu SS. Grandmotherhood: Contemporary meaning among African American middle-class grandmothers. Social Work. 1992;37:216–222
  49. U.S. Census Bureau. (2004). We the people: Aging in the United States: Census 2000 special reports. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.
  50. U.S. Census Bureau. www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/phc-t17.html. Accessed April 23, 2005.
  51. U.S. Census Bureau . “Skipped generation” household. www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/census_2000/0014422007;Accessed October 17, 2007
  52. Uten TH, Wastell CA. Attachment and meaning-making in perinatal bereavement. Death Studies. 2002;26:279–308
  53. Waters CM. Understanding and supporting African Americans' perspectives on end-of-life care planning and decision making. Qualitative Health Research. 2001;11:385–398
  54. Wheeler I. Parental bereavement: The crisis of meaning. Death Studies. 2001;25:51–66
  55. Wijngaards-de Meij L, Stroebe M, Schut H, Stroebe W, van den Bout J, van der Heijden P, et al. Patterns of attachment and parent's adjustment to the death of their child. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2007;33:537–548
  56. Wijngaards-de Meij L, Stroebe M, Stroebe W, Schut H, van den Bout J, van der Heijden P, et al. The impact of circumstances surrounding the death of a child on parent's grief. Death Studies. 2008;32:237–252
  57. Wood JD, Milo E. Fathers' grief when a disabled child dies. Death Studies. 2001;25:635–661
  58. Younoszai B. Mexican American perspectives related to death. In:  Irish DP,  Lundquist KF,  Nelsen VJ editor. Ethnic variations in dying, death, and grief. Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis; 1993;p. 67–78
  59. Znoj H, Keller D. Mourning parents: Considering safeguards and their relation to health. Death Studies. 2002;26:545–565

PII: S0882-5963(09)00063-3

doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2009.02.021

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 352-359 , October 2010

Article Tools