Chronic Sorrow
Chronic sorrow was introduced by Olshansky (1962) for the first time as a kind of progressive, ongoing, and endless grief experienced by parents, especially mothers of newborns with congenital anomalies. Also, other studies have reported this phenomenon in parents of children with mental or physical disability as well as with chronic and severe diseases [1-6]. This concept is defined as recurrent, unpredictable, and periodic sadness, which is permanent and progressive, and is triggered by internal or external events reminding the loss [7]. The recurrent pattern of chronic sorrow might have a non-linear and spiral design in the process of treatment, improvement or control of the disease; sorrow and severe grief may recur at a high level periodically
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Nursing researchers, in an effort to identify and measure chronic sorrow, to a great extent have conducted different studies to explore and detect the concept in parents of children with chronic conditions [14-17]. Although cancer in children is one of the most commonly discussed areas in pediatric nursing care, there is little evidence regarding the description of chronic sorrow concept in families of these children. There are some qualitative and quantitative methods of assessing chronic sorrow [17]. Kendall Chronic Sorrow Instrument (KCSI) has been designed for the evaluation and measurement of chronic sorrow in females with ongoing loss. Questionnaire items were designed by in-depth interviews with 96 females with ongoing loss. The questionnaire had eighteen 7-point Likert scale items, in which participants were asked to determine their experience about each item from "almost always" to "never". Scores were summed, and total score of 0 to 38 was considered as no chronic sorrow, 39 to 82 was considered as probability of chronic sorrow, and 83 to 108 was considered as chronic sorrow. In determining instrument reliability, Cronbach's Alpha of 0.91 confirmed its high internal consistency. The simultaneous conduction with "Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-DS)" and "General Wellbeing Scale (GWBS)" and the positive and negative significant correlation with the first and second instrument confirmed the construct validity of the instrument
Nursing researchers, in an effort to identify and measure chronic sorrow, to a great extent have conducted different studies to explore and detect the concept in parents of children with chronic conditions [14-17]. Although cancer in children is one of the most commonly discussed areas in pediatric nursing care, there is little evidence regarding the description of chronic sorrow concept in families of these children. There are some qualitative and quantitative methods of assessing chronic sorrow [17]. Kendall Chronic Sorrow Instrument (KCSI) has been designed for the evaluation and measurement of chronic sorrow in females with ongoing loss. Questionnaire items were designed by in-depth interviews with 96 females with ongoing loss. The questionnaire had eighteen 7-point Likert scale items, in which participants were asked to determine their experience about each item from "almost always" to "never". Scores were summed, and total score of 0 to 38 was considered as no chronic sorrow, 39 to 82 was considered as probability of chronic sorrow, and 83 to 108 was considered as chronic sorrow. In determining instrument reliability, Cronbach's Alpha of 0.91 confirmed its high internal consistency. The simultaneous conduction with "Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-DS)" and "General Wellbeing Scale (GWBS)" and the positive and negative significant correlation with the first and second instrument confirmed the construct validity of the instrument