Exploring the Association of Time-After-Death on Psychological Distress in Parents Who Lost a Child to Cancer.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 101 bereaved parents in Switzerland to determine the association between time-after-death and psychological distress. Eligible deceased children were identified via the national registry and forwarded to former treating pediatric oncology centers, which then contacted the parents. Psychological distress was measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18). Time-after-death ranged from 2 to 24 years (mean = 11.3, SD = 5.6). Linear regression and spline models showed no significant association between time-after-death and psychological distress. Our findings suggest that time-after-death alone does not predict parental psychological distress.