Table 3.

Summary of findings.

Authors	Aims	Findings in relation to personal growth
Bogensperger and Lueger-Schuster (2014)	To analyse associations between meaning reconstruction, complicated grief, and post-traumatic growth (PTG); with special attention to violent and unexpected losses.	Identified 20 sense-making themes and 19 benefit-finding themes; most commonly occurring: personal improvement (46.7%) and changed priorities (43.3%). No gender differences for PTG, sense making, or benefit finding. Time since death had no significant relationship with PTG. Negative correlation was found between PTG and complicated grief for bereaved parents of fewer than seven years. Significant correlation for sense making and PTG, and benefit-finding and PTG. Study indicates a positive relationship between meaning reconstruction and PTG. In the cases of traumatic loss, sense making was highly correlated with PTG.
Brabant, Forsyth, and McFarlain (1997)	To explore changes in parents meaning and purpose of life since the death of their child.	Parents expressed having found new meaning in life through helping others, changes in their values and priorities, and having endured suffering.
Buchi et al. (2007)	To assess grief and PTG in parents 2–6 years after the death of a premature baby (24–26 weeks gestation). To evaluate Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure (PRISM) in the assessment of bereavement.	PTG occurs independently of affective disturbance. Mothers experienced higher levels of grief but also higher levels of PTG. Shorter self–baby separation (SBS) scores on PRISM correlated with higher PTG overall and in fathers, but disappeared when grief and gender were controlled. SBS does not represent greater suffering, if parent has managed to make sense it could represent greater PTG.
Engelkemeyer and Marwit (2008)	Whether changes in world assumptions are necessary for PTG to occur To assess whether reported growth would be inversely correlated with grief intensity	Many parents reported personal growth. Grief intensity strongly predicted growth scores. Self-worth strongly predicted growth scores, with a moderate negative correlation for negative beliefs about self-worth and PTG. Assumptions about the benevolence of the world was not correlated with growth.
Gerrish and Bailey (2012)	To illustrate BGM method in relation to understanding the complexity of grief responses, including perceptions of growth, in a mother whose child died	Case study illustrated the complex experience of the mother’s grief and growth. BGM is a useful assessment method for understanding complex grief responses in bereaved parents.
Gerrish et al. (2010)	To develop a revised version of the BGM that could be effectively administered to bereaved mothers, for the purpose of exploring meaning reconstruction processes and PTG.	Case studies presented detailed examples of how a similar experience can lead to very different outcomes for mothers: one mother presented more complex grief, while the other mother presented with more aspects of PTG.
Gerrish et al. (2014)	To examine the impact of losing a child to cancer on bereaved mothers: (1) self-identify – that is their construal of self, others, and world views and (2) means of coping and how these relate to their adaptive or complicated responses to their loss	All mothers evidenced adaptive and complicated responses; however, some showed a higher proportion of one or the other. Mothers experienced challenges to their views about themselves, others and the world – which instigated highly meaningful changes in their self-identify – emerging from their struggle with grief – lead to substantial personal growth – this was not possible for all mothers. An ongoing bond with the child was important. A negative social environment was a barrier to process. Time to prepare for loss and other children appeared to facilitate growth.
Jenewein et al. (2008)	To assess the impact of extremely preterm birth on the mental health of parents 2–6 years after delivery To examine potential differences in PTG between parents whose babies survived or died	Mothers reported higher PTG than fathers. PTG appears to be more positively related to bereavement. Bereaved mothers experienced the value and quality of close relationships more positively compared to non-bereaved mothers.
Moore et al. (2015)	To investigate PTG and what variables contribute to PTG among suicide bereaved parents	PTG scores were typically in the low-moderate range, and typically lower than those in parents bereaved to other causes. PTG items most strongly endorsed include: relating to others, spiritual change, appreciation of life. Resilience inversely predicted PTG scores. PTG occurs among suicide bereaved parents, but may be complicated by proximity to death and by concurrent brooding unique to answering the question ‘why’.
Parappully et al. (2002)	To assess if parents of a murdered child were able to experience a positive outcome resulting from their trauma and to identify associated processes and resources	Identified four processes (acceptance, finding meaning, personal decision making, reaching out to others in compassion) and six resources (personal qualities, spirituality, continuing bond with the victim, social support, previous coping experience, self-care) which appeared to facilitate a positive outcome.
Polatinsky and Esprey (2000)	To assess whether parents were able to perceive benefit from their trauma, and whether there were any gender differences in perception of benefit To assess the impact of nature of death, time since death, and age and marital status of parents	Parents do perceive benefits from experiencing death of their child. Poor evidence to suggest gender differences in perception of benefits. Potential relationship between perception of benefit and illness being cause of death. More benefits identified the longer time had elapsed since death. Younger and married respondents reported more growth.
Reilly et al. (2008)	To explore the experiences of mothers after the death of their child with a learning disability.	Identified five themes: loss, benefit finding, coping, sources of support, and medical relationships.
Riley et al. (2007)	To examine dispositional factors, grief reactions, and personal growth in bereaved parents	More optimistic mothers reported less intense grief reactions and less distress indicative of complicated grief. Mothers who habitually coped with positive reframing had less intense grief reactions and less complicated grief. Personal growth was associated with active coping, support seeking, and positive reframing.