{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T11:06:26Z","timestamp":1785323186236,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785196800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":27,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Psycho-Oncology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Bereaved parents seek ways to maintain connections with their deceased child throughout their lifelong grief. These continuing bonds may bolster parental social functioning, yet limited research has explored continuing bonds early in bereavement.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To explore how parents maintain connection with their child within the first 2\u00a0years following death.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Parents of children who died from cancer 6\u201324\u00a0months prior completed the 11\u2010item Continuing Bonds Scale (CBS) and an open\u2010ended question querying ongoing connections. CBS scores ranged from 11 to 55, with higher scores indicating stronger continuing bonds. We examined associations between CBS scores and parent\/child factors and qualitatively analyzed free\u2010text responses.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Among 128 parents who completed the CBS, 103 (80%) provided free\u2010text responses. Most respondents identified as non\u2010Hispanic (91%), white (81%), and female (63%). Surveys were completed a mean of 15 (range 8\u201326) months after the child's death. The mean CBS score was 45.6 (SD\u00a0=\u00a07.8), indicating strong continuing bonds. Mothers reported higher scores than fathers (mean 46.9, SD\u00a0=\u00a07.2 vs. 43.4 SD\u00a0=\u00a08.2,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0=\u00a00.023). Free\u2010text responses fell into five thematic domains: (1) physical connection; (2) symbolic and spiritual connection; (3) emotional and relational connection; (4) continuing shared experiences; and (5) legacy and action. Most parents described ongoing connections across multiple domains.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Bereaved parents exhibit strong and complex continuing bonds in early bereavement. Improved understanding of these continuing bonds may help to develop supportive interventions focused on strengthening bonds that facilitate grief integration and potentially mitigate long\u2010term psychosocial sequelae.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.70556","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T09:14:46Z","timestamp":1785230086000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u201cAs Long as I Live, My Sweet Boy You'll Be:\u201d Parents' Continuing Bonds in Early Bereavement"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"35","author":[{"given":"Ben","family":"Herold","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Supportive Oncology Dana\u2010Farber Cancer Institute  Boston Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2695-2929","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christy M.","family":"Lucas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Supportive Oncology Dana\u2010Farber Cancer Institute  Boston Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"Division of Hematology\/Oncology Department of Pediatric Oncology Boston Children's Hospital Dana\u2010Farber Cancer Institute  Boston Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2166-7846","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sarah B.","family":"McCarthy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of General Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics Robert's Program on Sudden Unexpected Death in Pediatrics Boston Children's Hospital  Boston Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"Division of Psychology Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School  Boston Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2306-8994","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jennifer M.","family":"Snaman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Supportive Oncology Dana\u2010Farber Cancer Institute  Boston Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"Division of Hematology\/Oncology Department of Pediatric Oncology Boston Children's Hospital Dana\u2010Farber Cancer Institute  Boston Massachusetts USA"},{"name":"Harvard Medical School  Boston Massachusetts USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2011.10.017"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","first-page":"340","volume-title":"OMEGA\u2014Journal of Death and Dying","author":"DeGroot J. 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