Spirituality in Brazilian family caregivers of patients with cancer from the end-of-life care to bereavement

Pre-death grief in patients requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

This study aimed to understand the pre-death grief experienced by patients requiring Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. The sample consisted of nine adult patients. A semi-structured interview was applied individually, and audio was recorded and analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The results were organized into two categories, namely: Pre-death grief: Receiving the diagnosis, and Pre-death adjustment: Adaptation to the new condition. It was observed that there was a shock and a need to deal with the losses stemming from a serious illness, but then there was openness to reflection, and from this a new way of being and living emerged.

Bone Marrow Transplantation: bereavement due to the impact of bodily and psychosocial changes from the perspective of adolescent recipients and their parents

Abstract The diagnosis and treatment of a life-threatening disease have adverse consequences on child development and impact the family. This study aimed to investigate bereavement due to the impact of bodily and psychosocial changes resulting from Bone Marrow Transplantation from the perspective of adolescent patients and their parents. This is a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional study. Nine dyads (patients and mothers / fathers) were included. Data collection took place through semi-structured audio-recorded interviews. The thematic analysis made it possible to elaborate three categories: losses due to illness; new losses experienced with treatment; learning to appreciate the gains of adverse experience. The results show that transplantation has repercussions that transcend the physical dimension and include social harm, changes in body image, and loss of friends. However, once the radical journey of transplantation is over, the participants positively connoted their experience, identifying benefits that go beyond health recovery, such as emotional maturation, improvement of self-esteem, and the ability to socialize.