A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death
The present study assessed the frequency and nature of parent–child communication about death and identified predictors of such communication. The sample comprised 24 families who had recently lost a family member. Parents completed survey measures of global parenting dimensions (warmth/acceptance,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/2/254 |
| _version_ | 1827755681275445248 |
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| author | Lindsay Zajac Chris James Boyatzis |
| author_facet | Lindsay Zajac Chris James Boyatzis |
| author_sort | Lindsay Zajac |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study assessed the frequency and nature of parent–child communication about death and identified predictors of such communication. The sample comprised 24 families who had recently lost a family member. Parents completed survey measures of global parenting dimensions (warmth/acceptance, psychological control, behavioral control), parental coping (religious and secular coping), parental religiosity, and parent–child communication about death. Almost 80% of parent–child dyads discussed death at least once a week, and children initiated approximately half of these conversations. Parental warmth/acceptance was positively associated with the frequency of parent–child communication about death, whereas psychological control, negative religious coping, private religious practices, and religious focus were negatively associated with the frequency of parent–child communication about death. Results from hierarchical linear regression analyses suggest that even when controlling for parental warmth/acceptance and psychological control, parents’ private religious practices and religious focus negatively predicted the frequency of parent–child communication about death. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:12:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0112e9b34e9f44e283eb0778eabbb138 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:12:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-0112e9b34e9f44e283eb0778eabbb1382023-11-16T23:00:09ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-02-0114225410.3390/rel14020254A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about DeathLindsay Zajac0Chris James Boyatzis1Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Psychology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USAThe present study assessed the frequency and nature of parent–child communication about death and identified predictors of such communication. The sample comprised 24 families who had recently lost a family member. Parents completed survey measures of global parenting dimensions (warmth/acceptance, psychological control, behavioral control), parental coping (religious and secular coping), parental religiosity, and parent–child communication about death. Almost 80% of parent–child dyads discussed death at least once a week, and children initiated approximately half of these conversations. Parental warmth/acceptance was positively associated with the frequency of parent–child communication about death, whereas psychological control, negative religious coping, private religious practices, and religious focus were negatively associated with the frequency of parent–child communication about death. Results from hierarchical linear regression analyses suggest that even when controlling for parental warmth/acceptance and psychological control, parents’ private religious practices and religious focus negatively predicted the frequency of parent–child communication about death.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/2/254religionparentingchildrencommunicationdeathcoping |
| spellingShingle | Lindsay Zajac Chris James Boyatzis A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death Religions religion parenting children communication death coping |
| title | A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death |
| title_full | A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death |
| title_fullStr | A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death |
| title_short | A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death |
| title_sort | death in the family links between religion parenting and family communication about death |
| topic | religion parenting children communication death coping |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/2/254 |
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