Incidence and risk factors of prolonged grief in relatives of patients with terminal cancer in French palliative care units: The Fami-Life multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: Psychological consequences of grief among relatives are insufficiently known. We reported incidence of prolonged grief among relatives of deceased patients with cancer.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 611 relatives of 531 patients with cancer hospitalized for more than 72 hours and who died in 26 palliative care units was conducted.

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During the past 15 years, in France, like in many European countries, the attention paid to patients at the end of their lives has continued to grow. But in the meantime, only a few researchers have managed to collect reliable data on End-of-Life Care and to implement scientific studies describing the reality of these situations. This difficulty is due in particular to the lack of a recognized and operational definition of the end of life.

The Fami-life study: protocol of a prospective observational multicenter mixed study of psychological consequences of grieving relatives in French palliative care units on behalf of the family research in palliative care (F.R.I.P.C research network).

Background: Grieving relatives can suffer from numerous consequences like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and prolonged grief. This study aims to assess the psychological consequences of grieving relatives after patients' death in French palliative care units and their needs for support.

Methods: This is a prospective observational multicenter mixed study.