Date of Award

Summer 6-9-2025

Embargo Period

7-13-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing Science

Department

Nursing

College

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Shannon Phillips

Second Advisor

Martina Mueller

Third Advisor

Conrad Williams

Fourth Advisor

Leigh Ridings

Abstract

In the United States, nearly 62,000 children and adolescents experience the death of a sibling each year and sibling bereavement is one of the most distressing life events during childhood; however, it has received less attention in research compared to other forms of childhood loss. Bereaved siblings and parents are at increased risk for negative physical and psychological outcomes, yet little is known about their support and resource needs during the early years following the death. A limitation in understanding sibling bereavement is the methodological and ethical challenges of researching this vulnerable population. Consequently, the bereavement needs of surviving siblings and the parent-child dyad remain under-explored, hindering the development of family-level interventions designed to support both members of the dyad.

This dissertation addresses these gaps in the literature by first examining potential risk and protective factors that influence coping following sibling bereavement. Using The Multidimensional Grief Theory, an integrative review of the literature examined how these factors affect adjustment in bereaved siblings. The dissertation then details the formation of a Bereaved Family Advisory Board, which established a partnership with bereaved parents and siblings, to ensure the development of meaningful and sensitive study procedures for this hard-to-reach population. Insights from the advisory board informed the design of a feasibility study, guided by the Formal Feasibility Framework. The multi methods study explores the feasibility of assessing the bereavement needs of parent-child dyads following sibling death in order to preliminarily understand how unmet needs of bereaved dyads influence parental distress, surviving siblings’ quality of life (QOL), and grief. The findings presented in this dissertation lay the groundwork to inform a larger needs assessment that will direct the development of family-level interventions. Identifying the specific needs of the parent-child dyad following sibling death will help bridge the gap between research and practice, improve the provision of bereavement support, and promote healthier outcomes for both surviving siblings and their parents.

Rights

Copyright is held by the author. All rights reserved.

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