Coping With Anticipatory Grief: A Qualitative Study of Parents of Children With Advanced Cancer

Background Anticipatory grief is a common but understudied phenomenon among parents of children with advanced cancer. Appropriate coping with anticipatory grief may promote better adaptation before and after the death. Objective To explore the anticipatory grief experiences and coping approaches of such parents in Shanghai, China. Methods Using Husserlian phenomenology approach, 4 fathers and 16 mothers were interviewed at the Children’s Medical Center in Shanghai. The transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi phenomenological methods. Results Five themes were developed. The first theme described anticipatory grief experiences characterized by trauma and chronic misery, and the next 4 themes described how the parent coped with the grief through avoidance, acceptance, hope, and being present-focused. Parents coped differently at different times—from diagnosis, the time while the child was on treatment, to the time the parents could consider the possibilities of an uncertain future. The study also found that coping with grief is an intrapersonal and interpersonal process. Conclusion The study offers insights into parents’ dynamic coping processes when living with grief. Nurses could play a critical role in facilitating this process of living with grief. Implications for Practice Oncology nurses, by understanding parents’ anticipatory grief, can align themselves with the parents’ coping processes to provide appropriate support.