Psychosocial Support within the Context of Perinatal Palliative Care: The SORROWFUL Model

Against the background of a society that tends to underrate the grief experienced by parents whose infants have died prematurely, the model SORROWFUL is presented here with the intent to highlight the significance of the death of a newborn for the affected family. It is a supportive tool in counseling for parents grieving the (impending) loss of an infant(s) during peri- or neonatal life and may be implemented within the parental psychosocial support setting beginning with the initial diagnosis until well after the death of the child. The model intentionally allows flexibility for cultural and individual adaptation, for the accommodation to the varying needs of the affected parents, as well as to available local resources.

Automated summary

Against the backdrop of a society that fails to recognize the sorrow endured by parents who have lost premature infants, this article presents the SORROWFUL model to highlight the significance of newborn death for affected families. This model serves as a support tool in counseling parents who are grieving the impending or actual loss of a child during pregnancy or neonatal life, and can be applied from the initial diagnosis through the period following the child's death. The model intentionally allows for cultural and individual adaptation to meet the diverse needs of affected parents and available local resources.