Exploring an Unrecognized Grief: A Quantitative Study of Older American Parents Whose Only Child Has Died

Abstract

In the United States, older parents who have experienced the death of their only child constitute an extremely understudied group. Based on a conceptual framework developed from Worden’s “mediators of mourning,” this cross-sectional study hypothesized that older bereaved parents who experience severe grief symptoms would differ from those with less severe grief on age, time since death, attachment style, coping strategy, social support, and spirituality. It further aimed to investigate the association between the above factors and aggravated or alleviated grief symptoms. A sample of 183 bereaved adults over age 50 was recruited and an online survey was utilized to collect data. A 47.54% prevalence rate of Prolonged Grief Disorder was found in the sample. Participants who experienced more severe grief showed significant differences in the aforementioned study variables, compared to those who experienced less severe grief. Results of the hierarchical multiple regression model indicated that the higher severity of grief symptoms was related to utilizing more avoidant coping strategies and having a fearful attachment style. Less severe grief was associated with increased time since death, a greater perception of social support from friends, and more daily spiritual experiences. As the U.S. population ages and more families have only one child, it is imperative that academic and helping professionals recognize older bereaved parents’ unique vulnerability and develop effective intervention strategies. This study reinforces the call for increased social awareness and acceptance of prolonged grief and policy changes to address the needs of older bereaved parents.

Keywords:

• Only child’s death
• attachment style
• coping strategy
• social support
• spirituality

Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank Paula Neidorf for her assistance to reach out to the bereaved parent online groups.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Human Subject Research Committee at George Fox University (2202042).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported in part by the George Fox University Grant [GFU2022G10].

Notes on contributors

Yongqiang Zheng

Yongqiang Zheng PhD, is an Associate Professor of Social Work. His research interest and recent publications are focused on prolonged grief in later life.

Jeongah Kim

Jeongah Kim PhD, is an Associate Professor of Social Work. She has recently developed a specialized focus on the intersection of science, spirituality/religion, and philosophy, with a specific emphasis on epistemology within the context of social work.

Leslie G. Wuest

Leslie G. Wuest PhD, LCSW, is an Assistant Professor of Social Work. After a career in direct practice with children and families, she now enjoys teaching social work and engaging in research.