Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:28:25.040Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bereavement life review improves spiritual well-being and ameliorates depression among American caregivers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2014

Michiyo Ando ,
Felicia Marquez-Wong ,
Gary B. Simon ,
Haruko Kira  and
Carl Becker
Michiyo Ando*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Nursing, St. Mary's College, Fukuoka, Japan
Felicia Marquez-Wong
Affiliation:
St. Francis Hospice, Honolulu, Hawaii
Gary B. Simon
Affiliation:
St. Francis Hospice, Honolulu, Hawaii
Haruko Kira
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan
Carl Becker
Affiliation:
Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Michiyo Ando, St. Mary's College, Tsubuku Honmachi 422, Kurume City, Fukuoka, Japan. E-mail: andou@st-mary.ac.jp
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of our study was to investigate the utility of bereavement life review (BLR) to elevate spiritual well-being and alleviate depression among Hawaiian-American caregivers, and to identify changes that occur when caring for their loved ones up to the time of death.

Method:

Bereavement life review therapy was provided for 20 bereaved Hawaiian Americans. In the first session, subjects reviewed memories of the deceased with a therapist, who recorded their narratives and collected them into a personal history book. During the second session, subjects discussed the contents of this book. Caregivers completed the Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual (FACIT–Sp) questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II) pre- and post-intervention. Subjects also described changes in their views that occurred during the caring process in response to questions.

Results:

FACIT–Sp scores significantly increased from 34.1 ± 9.63 to 36.3 ± 10.6 (t = –2.6, p < 0.05, and BDI scores significantly decreased from 11.7 ± 7.7 to 8.8 ± 7.0 (t = 2.27, p < 0.05). Five categories were chosen from the narratives on changes that had occurred during caregiving and due to the deceased death: “Learning from practical caring experience,” “Positive understanding of patients,” “Recognition of appreciation,” “Self-change or growth,” and “Obtaining a philosophy.”

Significance of Results:

These findings show the applicability of bereavement life review therapy for Hawaiian families, including efficacy for spiritual well-being and depression. The comments of the caregivers also indicate the potential of the therapy for identifying the positive aspects of caring for terminally ill patients.

Keywords

Bereavement life review (BLR)Spiritual well-beingDepression
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 319 - 325
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ando, M., Morita, M., Miyashita, M., et al. (2010). Effects of bereavement life review on spiritual well-being and depression. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 40, 453–459.Google Scholar
Ando, M., Sakaguchi, Y. & Shiihara, Y. (2013). Universality of bereavement life review for spirituality and depression in bereaved families. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. Epub ahead of print May 14.Google Scholar
Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., Ball, R., et al. (1996). Comparison of Beck Depression Inventories-IA and -II in psychiatric outpatients. Journal of Personality Assessment, 67, 588–597.Google Scholar
Berelson, B. (1952). Content analysis in communication research. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Brownhill, S., Chang, E., Bidewell, J., et al. (2013). A decision model for community nurses providing bereavement care. Journal of Community Nursing, 18, 133–139.Google Scholar
Bruce, M.L., Kim, K., Leaf, P.J., et al. (1990). Depressive episodes and dysphoria resulting from conjugal bereavement in a prospective community sample. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 608–611.Google Scholar
Burnell, G.M. & Burnell, A.L. (1989). Clinical management of bereavement: A handbook for healthcare professionals. New York: Human Sciences Press.Google Scholar
Christakis, N. & Allison, P. (2006). Mortality after the hospitalization of a spouse. The New England Journal of Medicine, 354, 719–730.Google Scholar
Funashima, N. (2001). Shitsuteki kenkyu heno cyosen [Challenge of qualitative analysis]. Osaka: Igakusyoin.Google Scholar
Haight, B.K. (1988). The therapeutic role of a structured life review process in homebound elderly subjects. Journal of Gerontology, 43, 40–44.Google Scholar
Ishii, Y., Miyashita, M., Sato, K., et al. (2012). A family's difficulties in caring for a cancer patient at the end of life at home in Japan. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 44, 552–562.Google Scholar
Lehman, D.R., Davis, C.G., Delongis, A., et al. (1993). Positive and negative life changes following bereavement and their relations to adjustment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 12, 90–112.Google Scholar
Murata, H. & Morita, T. (2006). Conceptualization of psycho-existential suffering by the Japanese Task Force: The first step of a nationwide project. Palliative & Supportive Care, 4, 279–285.Google Scholar
Murray, S.A., Kendall, M, Boyd, K., et al. (2010). Archetypal trajectories of social, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing and distress in family caregivers of patients with lung cancer: Secondary analysis of serial qualitative interview. BMJ, 340, c2581.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noguchi, W., Ono, T., Morita, T., et al. (2004). An investigation of reliability and validity to Japanese version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual (FACIT–Sp). Japanese Journal of General and Hospital Psychiatry, 16, 42–47.Google Scholar
Peterman, A.H., Fitchett, G., Brady, M.J., et al. (2002). Measuring spiritual well-being in people with cancer: The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT–Sp). Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24, 49–58.Google Scholar
Prigerson, H.G., Frank, E. & Kasl, S.V. (1995). Complicated grief and bereavement-related depression as distinct disorders: Preliminary empirical validation in elderly bereaved spouses. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 22–30.Google Scholar
Sanjo, M., Morita, T., Miyashita, M., et al. (2009). Caregiving Consequences Inventory: A measure for evaluating caregiving consequences from the bereaved family caregiver's perspective. Psycho-Oncology, 18, 657–666.Google Scholar
Shear, M.K. (2009). Grief and depression: Treatment decisions for bereaved children and adults. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 166, 746–748.Google Scholar
Stroebe, M., Schut, H. & Stroebe, W. (2007). Health outcomes of bereavement. Lancet, 370, 1960–1973.Google Scholar
Wikipedia (2013). http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AF%E3%82%A4%E5%B7%9E.Google Scholar
Zisook, S. (1995). Death, dying and bereavement. In Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. Kaplan, H.I. & Sadock, B.J. (eds.), 6th ed., pp. 2383–2389. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.Google Scholar
Zisook, S. & Shucter, S.R. (1993). Uncomplicated bereavement. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 54, 365–372.Google Scholar