The father-daughter relationship in the wake of maternal death from breast cancer.

The father-daughter relationship in the wake of maternal death from breast cancer. Palliat Support Care. 2017 Nov 08;:1-8 Authors: Cohen MM, Wellisch DK, Ormseth SR, Yarema VG Abstract OBJECTIVES: This paper examines whether a relationship exists between paternal psychological stability and daughters' symptomatology following the death of a wife/mother from breast cancer. Specifically, is there a relationship between paternal parenting style and the daughters' subsequent capacity to form committed relationships later in life? METHODS: We assessed 68 adult daughters (average age = 23.5 years) since the mother's breast cancer diagnosis by means of a semistructured clinical interview and psychological testing. RESULTS: The daughters were subdivided into three psychiatric risk groups. Those in the highest risk group were most likely to be single and to have high CES-Depression and STAI-Anxiety scores. Daughters in the highest risk group were also most likely to have fathers who abused substances, fathers who had experienced a serious psychiatric event, and families with the most closed communication about the mother's cancer. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Psychopathology in fathers correlated with increasing anxiety and depression in adult daughters. Daughters at the highest level of risk had the most severe affective states, the most disturbed father-daughter bonding, and the least ability to create successful interpe...
Source: Palliative and Supportive Care - Category: Palliative Care Authors: Tags: Palliat Support Care Source Type: research