Navigating Interdependence
The End-of-Life Caregiving Process of Adult Only Children Caring for Their Parent
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14993755 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zhiqi Yi (0009-0009-7054-5608, University of Kansas, corresponding author), Nili Wang (Beijing Normal University), Sarah Jen (0000-0001-8584-7443, University of Kansas), Shuo Xu (0000-0002-8602-1819, Renmin University of China) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 10497323251371503-10497323251371503 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Health Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10497323251371503 |
| PMID | 40938755 |
| OpenAlex | W4414161485 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 24 |
The one-child policy has shaped the life trajectories of millions of only children in China. As this cohort ages into mid-life, providing end-of-life care to their aging parents is becoming a critical social issue. Their lived experiences and sociopolitical context likely lead to distinctive end-of-life caregiving experiences; however, to date no existing literature has investigated this phenomenon. This study uses a convenience sample of 15 adult only children who provided at least one month of end-of-life care leading up to their parents’ death to explore their caregiving process. This study uses thematic analysis to present findings. The emergent caregiving process encompasses four phases of interdependence depicted through the metaphor of charting a sailing voyage: (1) Sailing Out of the Harbor: Continued Interdependence and Life Routes; (2) Navigating Back to the Harbor: Inverted Interdependence and Shifting Life Emphasis; (3) The Collapsing Harbor: Decoupling Interdependence and Preparation for Bereavement; and (4) The Navigator’s and Harbor’s Reconstruction: The Divergent Interdependence and Social Life. Three turning points sequentially connect the four phases: (1) realizing the severity of the illness and shifting to prioritize caregiving; (2) sensing the impending death; and (3) death of and farewell to the parent(s). The parent–child relationship anchors the process, while sociocultural context and illness progression drive the process forward. Practitioners can provide competent psychosocial care in response to the unique dynamics of interdependence and caregiving stress in individual cases. Advocacy for death education and policies that promote hospice and palliative care are recommended
Cohort · Context (archaeology · Metaphor · Palliative care · Psychosocial · Social environment · Sociocultural evolution · Thematic analysis · Family Support in Illness · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
Supporting best practice in reflexive thematic analysis reporting in Palliative Medicine
Is thematic analysis used well in health psychology? A critical review of published research, with recommendations for quality practice and reporting
Interpretive Research Design
Interpretive description
Caregivers’ Experience of End-of-Life Stage Elderly Patients
The Effectiveness of a Thanks, Sorry, Love, and Farewell Board Game in Older People in Taiwan
The Blessings and the Curses of Filial Piety on Dignity at the End of Life
Social work g uanxi
Understandings of Death and Dying for People of Chinese Origin
Moral internalization, parental power, and the nature of parent-child interaction
The Micropolitics of Care in Relationships between Aging Parents and Adult Children
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |