Loss and grief that result from the demise of a loved one leave behind a vulnerability that could plunge both the bereaved parents and children into mental illnesses. The scholarly article
delves into the complex relationship that arises from bereaved parents who are caring for minor children and the mental vulnerabilities that arise from such scenarios. According to Park et al. (2021), the psychological state of a widowed parenting adult impacts determines the mental health of a child. The article studied is important as it sheds light on psychiatric conditions that affect widowed parents and their impact on a child.
Summary of the Scholarly Article
The scholarly article highlights previous research that has been done on the subject matter, that is, the relationship between grieving parents and the bereaved children left behind. The needs of the grieving child are clearly documented, starting from isolation to how they experience and process the loss. However, the psychosocial experiences of the bereaved parents and how they handle is a matter with little literature (Park et al., 2021). This gap in research creates an objective for this study to examine the individual experiences of mothers and fathers who have recently lost a partner and have minor children.
The academic article uses a cross-sectional method of research to study the demographic and psychological elements linked to depression and grief in recently bereaved adults who have minor children. The cross-sectional approach integrated surveys containing questions evaluating participants’ demographic factors, children, and deceased parents. The survey also had items that included child traumatic stress and assessment, dependency on the bereaved, parenting self-efficacy, grief distress, and depressive symptoms (Parker et al., 2021). Individuals who participated in the cross-sectional study who were eighteen years and above have experienced the loss of a caregiver in a period of the last three years and were a primary guardian or caregiver to a parentally bereaved minor child at the time of death. The total number of participants in the survey was 1067; 36% were widowed as a result of cancer, 13.7% heart disease, and 13.1% suicide. 89.35% were from the USA, while the rest were from other countries.
The study clearly outlines the clinical needs and potential risk factors that directly affect parentally bereaved families. Ten per cent of widowed adults go through prolonged grief disorder. When it came to parenting, parenting low self-efficacy was a common occurrence in women who experienced the loss of a spouse due to a high risk of stress and grief. In most cases, the spouse left behind struggles with feelings of inadequacy regarding the quality of parenting and caregiving to their child; this can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Bereavement-related depressive disorders and prolonged grief disorder are two different elements that appropriate treatment approaches can alleviate. Addressing the parental role in the psychological dynamic and identifying early stress related to grief is essential.
Critique of the Scholarly Article
The scholarly article is essential since it bridges gaps in literature and previous research. Whereas earlier scholars shifted their attention to how minor children are affected by grief, it focuses on how the bereaved parent handles the experience and how it affects parenting emotionally and psychologically. The questions outlined in the survey are detailed and narrowed down specifically to parentally bereaved families. Demographic factors like the female gender and low income in households are identified to have worse outcomes, an observation that will aid in supporting such families. The research data is, however, drawn from self-selected samples rather than population-based.
Implications and Future Directions
The premature loss of a parent heavily affects families. There is a need to emphasize grieving parents and how they process the whole experience at a psychological level, a sector that has most often been overlooked (Parker et al., 2021). Future explorations and studies are a pathway to discover knowledge about challenges that people in same-sex relationships, refugees, migrant populations, and ethnic minorities face as a result of the loss of a parent in a family and the impacts it leaves behind on families and children.
Conclusion
Even though loss and grief are worldwide occurrences and emotions, at least 10% of adults who are bereaved experience prolonged grief disorder alongside other psychiatric problems that can be cured using the right treatment plans; the study used a survey method. The total number of participants in the survey was 1067; 36% were widowed as a result of cancer, 13.7% heart disease, and 13.1% suicide. 89.35% were from the USA, while the rest were from other countries. Addressing the parental role in the psychological dynamic and identifying early stress related to grief is essential. The mental health of a parent has direct psychological impacts on a child.
References
Eliza M Park1, 2. Eliza M Park1,2,3, Allison M Deal3, Justin M Yopp1, Stephanie A Chien1,
Sean McCabe4, Ariella Hirsch5, Savannah M Bowers3, Teresa Edwards6 and Donald
Rosenstein1,2,3,. (2021,). Parenting Through Grief: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Recently
Bereaved Adults With Minor Children. Palliative Medicine, Vol. 35(10) 1923–1932
Rosenstein1,2,3,. (2021,).
write