"You are not alone": Connecting through a bereaved parent mentor program for parents whose child died of cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bereavement after the death of a child is devastating and associated with worse physical and psychosocial well-being in parents. Evidence suggests that parents desire and benefit from support provided by other bereaved parents. To foster this peer support, an institutional peer-to-peer mentorship program for bereaved parents was established, through which trained bereaved parent mentors offer support for newly bereaved parents.

Methods

Using a retrospective cohort design, we describe the characteristics of participants of the Bereaved Parent Mentorship program. Trained bereaved parent mentors documented encounters with newly bereaved parent mentees using a secure internet-based form. Mentors summarized each encounter including any concerns or need for professional

SUBMITTER: McNeil MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9468435 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature