The Missing Pieces Trial: A Comparison of Two Interventions to Support Parents After Their Child's Unexpected or Traumatic Death

Description

Parents of children who die traumatically or unexpectedly from things like suicide or an overdose suffer from mental and physical health problems and can experience massive disruptions in their family life. For about half of these parents, the first, and sometimes only, interactions they have with the healthcare system when their child dies are with a medical examiner or coroner (hereafter 'ME'). But MEs have little to no training in helping grieving families, and there are no standards guiding medical examiners or coroners on how or even if they should help grieving families. This gap leaves parents to find the help they need on their own. This research will test two different strategies for addressing this gap in the healthcare system.

Conditions

Bereavement

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Parents of children who die traumatically or unexpectedly from things like suicide or an overdose suffer from mental and physical health problems and can experience massive disruptions in their family life. For about half of these parents, the first, and sometimes only, interactions they have with the healthcare system when their child dies are with a medical examiner or coroner (hereafter 'ME'). But MEs have little to no training in helping grieving families, and there are no standards guiding medical examiners or coroners on how or even if they should help grieving families. This gap leaves parents to find the help they need on their own. This research will test two different strategies for addressing this gap in the healthcare system.

The Missing Pieces Trial: A Multi-Site Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Interventions to Support Parents After Their Child's Unexpected or Traumatic Death

The Missing Pieces Trial: A Comparison of Two Interventions to Support Parents After Their Child's Unexpected or Traumatic Death

Condition
Bereavement
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chicago

Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612

Joliet

Will County Coroner's Office, Joliet, Illinois, United States, 60432

Saint Charles

Kane County Coroner's Office, Saint Charles, Illinois, United States, 60175

Waukegan

Lake County Coroner's Office, Waukegan, Illinois, United States, 60085

Wheaton

DuPage County Coroner's Office, Wheaton, Illinois, United States, 60187

Woodstock

McHenry County Coroner's Office, Woodstock, Illinois, United States, 60098

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Parents or caregivers of ME cases involving a person \< 25 years old from one of the following offices: Cook County Medical Examiners, Lake County Coroners, DuPage County Coroner, Will County Coroner, McHenry County Coroner, Kane County Coroner
  • * Parents or caregivers who provide permission to the ME to be referred to Missing Pieces
  • * Parent or caregivers who are referred to Missing Pieces by a ME
  • * Parents or caregivers able to read and communicate in English or Spanish
  • * Parents or caregivers unable to read or communicate in English or Spanish
  • * Parents or caregivers under the age of 18 years old

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago,

Kelly Michelson, MD, MPH, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Lurie Children's Hospital

Stacy Lindau, MD, MAPP, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Chicago

Study Record Dates

2028-02