Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Dec 25;10(1):38.
doi: 10.3390/children10010038.

Psychosocial Support within the Context of Perinatal Palliative Care: The "SORROWFUL" Model

Affiliations
Review

Psychosocial Support within the Context of Perinatal Palliative Care: The "SORROWFUL" Model

Kerstin von der Hude et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Against the background of a society that tends to underrate the grief experienced by parents whose infants have died prematurely, the model "SORROWFUL" is presented here with the intent to highlight the significance of the death of a newborn for the affected family. It is a supportive tool in counseling for parents grieving the (impending) loss of an infant(s) during peri- or neonatal life and may be implemented within the parental psychosocial support setting beginning with the initial diagnosis until well after the death of the child. The model intentionally allows flexibility for cultural and individual adaptation, for the accommodation to the varying needs of the affected parents, as well as to available local resources.

Keywords: bereaved parents; birth; dying; life-limiting disease; neonates.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Camacho-Ávila M., Fernández-Sola C., Jiménez-López F.R., Granero-Molina J., Fernández-Medina I.M., Martínez-Artero L., Hernández-Padilla J.M. Experience of parents who have suffered a perinatal death in two Spanish hospitals: A qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019;19:512. doi: 10.1186/s12884-019-2666-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Burden C., Bradley S., Storey C., Ellis A., Heazell A.E.P., Downe S., Cacciatore J., Siassakos D. From grief, guilt pain and stigma to hope and pride—A systematic review and meta-analysis of mixed-method research of the psychosocial impact of stillbirth. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2016;16:9. doi: 10.1186/s12884-016-0800-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Obst K.L., Due C., Oxlad M., Middleton P. Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: A systematic review and emerging theoretical model. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020;20:11. doi: 10.1186/s12884-019-2677-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lammer K. Trauer Verstehen: Formen, Erklärungen, Hilfen. 4th ed. Springer; Berlin, Germany: Heidelberg, Germany: 2014. (In German)
    1. Li J., Precht D.H., Mortensen P.B., Olsen J. Mortality in parents after death of a child in Denmark: A nationwide follow-up study. Lancet. 2003;361:363–367. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12387-2. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources