TY - JOUR PY - 2016// TI - Posttraumatic growth in aging individuals who have lost their only child in China JO - Death studies A1 - Pan, Xiaofu A1 - Liu, Jinyu A1 - Li, Lydia W. A1 - Kwok, Jonathan SP - 395 EP - 404 VL - 40 IS - 7 N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and factors related to PTG in aging individuals who have lost their only child in China.

METHODS: The sample included 201 bereaved parents from different families residing in Chongqing, China. They were between 49-80 years old (mean = 61) and had lost their only child. Personal interviews were conducted in their homes. PTG was assessed with a revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-R). Descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: Overall, the sample showed a positive tendency toward PTG. The older the child was at death, the less PTG the parent experienced. Time since the child's death was negatively correlated with PTG, and parents whose children died by accident/suicide had lower PTG than those whose children died of illness. Lower education and poor parental health were significantly associated with lower levels of PTG. Community support was significantly and positively associated with PTG.

CONCLUSION: A majority of aging parents who have lost their only child in China experience PTG. Characteristics related to the loss (child's age at death, time since the death, and cause of death), personal resources (parent's education and health), and community support are associated with the degree of growth.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0748-1187 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2016.1169234 ID - ref1 ER -