scholarly journals Experiences of Parental Suicide-Bereavement: A Longitudinal Qualitative Analysis Over Two Years

Author(s):  
Lorenza Entilli ◽  
Victoria Ross ◽  
Diego De Leo ◽  
Sabrina Cipolletta ◽  
Kairi Kõlves

Limited research exists on the experiences of parents bereaved by suicide. Our earlier qualitative analysis examined the experiences of parents’ suicide bereavement at 6 and 12 months after their loss. The current study aimed to extend the analysis over 24 months, outlining the key themes of parents’ suicide bereavement experience. In the frames of a longitudinal study of suicide bereavement in Queensland, Australia, parents were interviewed at 6, 12, and 24 months after their loss. Thematic analysis was used to further explore new themes and three key themes identified in earlier analyses: searching for answers and sense-making, coping strategies and support, and finding meaning and purpose. Results at 24 months revealed a clearer differentiation between strategies adopted by mothers and fathers. Anger and blame had changed towards feelings of depression. A polarization was observed between parents still oscillating in brooding rumination and those who have shifted towards sense-making. The former more frequently reported depression symptoms, and the latter reported a more positive attitude towards life and acceptance of their loss. Consistent with the dual-process model, parents managed to reach acceptance after oscillating between sense-making and meaning making. Findings provide insights how suicide loss affects parents, with implications for postvention.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Thomas ◽  
Louise Stephens ◽  
Tracey A Mills ◽  
Christine Hughes ◽  
Alan Kerby ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The death of a baby before or shortly after birth is a profoundly distressing experience for women and their families. Although grieving the death of their baby, most women will embark on another pregnancy. Specialist antenatal services have been proposed to address the increased biomedical and psychological risks in pregnancies after perinatal death. This study aimed to explore the experiences of women in and shortly after pregnancy after loss to determine the psychological and economic impact and the effect of a specialist service. Methods This study adopted a mixed-methods approach using several sources of data: i) validated measures of psychological state (Cambridge Worry Score, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score (EPDS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item score), ii) measurement of hair cortisol, iii) face-to-face semi-structured interviews to explore women’s views and experiences of care during their pregnancy, and iv) a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis with a subgroup of women and staff participants at the lead site. Results In total 112 women participated in the study. Measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms decreased from the highest levels at 15 weeks’ gestation to 6-weeks postnatal (for example mean GAD-7: 15 weeks 8.2 ± 5.5, 6 weeks postnatal 4.4 ± 5.0, p < 0.001). Hair cortisol levels fell in a similar profile to anxiety and depression symptoms (p < 0.05). Thematic analysis of interviews (n = 20) described how stillbirth was a quiet, unspoken subject and that navigating subsequent pregnancies relied on expecting the worst and hoping for the best; mapping these themes onto the Dual Process Model of Bereavement found being pregnant complicated the grieving process as increased awareness of the risk of stillbirth drew parents focus back to loss. Attendance at a specialist service was valued; SROI analysis found that for £1 invested, £6.10 of value was generated, mostly relating to reduced negative psychological symptoms. Conclusions This mixed-methods study demonstrated heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms and elevated cortisol levels which decrease as pregnancy progresses. Specialist care was viewed favourably, and is cost-effective, but comparative studies are required to determine whether this model is superior to routine high-risk care and to identify which components are most valued.


2015 ◽  
Vol 156 (39) ◽  
pp. 1569-1576
Author(s):  
Ágnes Csikós ◽  
Mónika Menyhért ◽  
Ildikó Radványi ◽  
Csilla Busa

Grief is a natural part of life and it is always individual. Researchers have tried and still try to develop different theories to interpret, explain, and approach this particular phenomenon. The aim of the authors was to review the theoretical literature of mourning and to present new bereavement theories for domestic professionals. From the first half of the 20th century until presently mourning theories have undergone significant changes. Today the determinant models includes the flexible, coping-oriented dual process model, meaning reconstruction model which focuses on the meaning making, and the model which focuses on the development after the loss. The authors conclude that experts, who work in the clinical area should know the prevailing theories of grief, because they encounter often with loss at work. The presented models may contribute to more efficient work, to better understanding of the mourning process and to a better support of families. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(39), 1569–1576.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Thomas ◽  
Louise Stephens ◽  
Tracey A Mills ◽  
Christine Hughes ◽  
A. Michael Arundale ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pregnancy after the death of a baby is associated with a series of emotional and psychological challenges for pregnant women and their families. Specialist antenatal services have been proposed to address the increased biomedical and psychological risks in pregnancies after perinatal death. This study aimed to explore the pregnancy and postnatal experiences of women in a pregnancy after a perinatal death who were attending a specialist antenatal service and to evaluate the economic impact of the service.Methods To explore women’s views and experiences of care during their pregnancy this study used face-to-face semi-structured interviews following a topic guide comprising of four sections (history leading to care pathway, their experience of coping with new pregnancy after loss, support and advice for others). Following inductive thematic analysis, a deductive approach was taken to map themes to Stroebe and Schutt’s Dual Process Model of Grief.A Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis informed by contributions from a subgroup of women and staff participants. Information was obtained from focus groups discussions, questionnaires and interviews. The SROI was reported as the ratio of the value generated by the clinic and the costs of providing the service.Results Thematic analysis of interviews (n=20) described how perinatal death was a quiet, unspoken subject and that navigating subsequent pregnancies relied on expecting the worst and hoping for the best. Mapping these themes onto the Dual Process Model of Grief found being pregnant complicated the grieving process, as increased awareness of the risk of stillbirth drew parents’ focus back to loss. Attendance at a specialist service was valued; SROI analysis found that for £1 invested, £6.10 of value was generated, mostly relating to the birth of a live baby, reduced negative psychological symptoms and fewer focussed contacts with health professionals.Conclusions Specialist antenatal care in pregnancies after perinatal death was viewed favourably by parents. Women’s experiences can be used to synthesise and develop models of care that aim to meet their needs but comparative studies are required to determine whether these models are superior to routine high-risk care and to identify which components are most valued.


2021 ◽  
pp. 205715852110619
Author(s):  
Søsserr Grimshaw-Aagaard ◽  
Inge-Lise Knøfler

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses in the field examined were required to manage large numbers of patients suffering from COVID-19 in in-patient clinics necessitating relocation of registered nurses (RNs) from other clinics in the department to support the care of those patients. The aim of the study was to explore how RNs attribute meaning to their experiences during the organizational changes caused by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive phenomenological study is based on thematic analysis interviewing 47 RNs who either continued working in in-patient clinics, were relocated to in-patient clinics, or remained in out-patient clinics. The study methods complied with the COREQ. The main finding, ‘Sense-making in a changed reality of nursing’, shows how RNs attribute meaning or not to the organizational changes, and explains how meaning-making in RNs continuing in in-patient clinics reinforced their identity as RNs or, conversely, how feelings of meaninglessness in those relocated to in-patient clinics or remaining in out-patient clinics contributed to identity loss. This article suggests that managers, by paying attention to the narratives of meaning or meaninglessness in nurses during organizational changes, could be instrumental in managing the anger, frustration, and hopelessness arising from experiences of meaninglessness.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Kevers ◽  
Peter Rober ◽  
Lucia De Haene

While collective identifications of diasporic Kurds have attracted considerable scholarly interest, their possible role in familial processes of post-trauma reconstruction has hardly been studied. The aim of this article is therefore to develop an explorative understanding of the deployment and meaning of collective identifications in intimate family contexts by examining the interconnectedness between the transmission of cultural and political belonging and post-trauma meaning-making and coping in Kurdish refugee families. After contextualising diasporic Kurds’ collective identifications through an ethnographic depiction of the Kurdish diasporic community in Belgium, this article reports on findings from a small-scale, exploratory study with five Kurdish refugee families in Belgium. Thematic analysis of family and parent interviews indicates how cultural and political identifications may operate as sources of (1) dealing with cultural bereavement and loss; (2) commemorating trauma; and (3) reversing versus reiterating trauma. Overall, this study’s findings support an explorative understanding of collective identifications as meaningful resources in families’ post-trauma reconstruction.ABSTRACT IN KURMANJIRola nasnameyên komelî di pêvajoyên malbatî yên vesazkirina paş-trawmayê de: Xebateke raveker li ser malbatên kurd ên penaber û civakên wan ên dîasporayêTevî ku nasnameyên komelî yên kurdên dîasporayê ta radeyeke baș bûye mijara lêkolînan, rola wan a muhtemel di pêvajoyên malbatî yên vesazkirina (selihandin) paş-trawmayê qet nehatine vekolîn. Lewma armanca vê gotarê ew e têgihiştineke raveker pêş bixe li ser rol û wateya nasnameyên komelî yên di çarçoveya mehremiya malbatê de, ku vê yekê jî dê bi rêya vekolîna wê têkiliya rijd bike ya di navbera neqlkirina aidiyetên çandî-siyasî û rêyên sazkirina wateyê û serederîkirina li dû trawmayê di nav malbatên kurd ên penaber de. Piştî diyarkirina çarçoveya nasnameya komelî ya Kurdên diasporayê bi rêya teswîreke etnografîk a cemaeta diasporaya Kurd li Belçîkayê, ev gotar encamên ji xebateke biçûk a bi pênc malbatên kurd ên penaber ên li Belçîkayê pêşkêş dike. Tehlîla babetî ya hevpeyvînên ligel malbatan û dayik û bavan nîşan dide ka çawa nasnameyên çandî û siyasî dikarin bibin çavkanî ji bo (1) serederîkirina bi mehrûmiyeta çandî û windahiyên xwe; (2) bibîranîna trawmayê; û (3) kêmrengkirin an, beramber vê yekê, dubarekirina trawmayê. Bi giştî, encamên vê xebatê wê têgihiştineke raveker tesdîq dikin ku nasnameyên kolektîf çavkaniyên kêrhatî ne di vesazkirina paş-trawmayê ya malbatan de. ABSTRACT IN SORANIDewrî nasname bekomellekan le prose binemalleyîyekanî sazkirdinewey paş-trawmayîda: lêkollîneweyekî şirovekarî binemalle penabere kurdekan û civatî ewan le diyasporaLe katêkda nasname bekomellekanî kurdekanî diyaspora le layen şarezakanewe giringîyekî berçawî pê drawe û serincî ewanî bo lay xoyî rakêşawe, bellam sebaret be egerî dewrî prose binemalleyîyekanî sazkirdinewey paş-tirawma be degmen lêkollîneweyek encam drawe. Ke wate, amancî em wutare perepêdan be têgeyîştinêkî şirovekarane lemerr bekarhênan û manay nasname bekomellekan le bestênekanî têkellawîy binemalleyîdaye, ke le rêgey peywendîy nêwan rewtî gwastineweyî grêdraweyî kultûrî û siyasî, sazbûnî mana û herweha rahatin legell kêşekanî qonaẍî paş tirawma le binemalle kurde penaberekanda taqî krawetewe. Dway awirrdanewe le civakî diyasporay kurd le Belcîka, nasname bekomellekanî kurdekanî diyaspora le bestênî xoyda xwêndinewey bo krawe û bem gêreye lem wutareda lêkollîneweyekî şirovekarane bo qebareyekî biçûk le pênc binemalley kurdî penaber le Belcîka dekrê û encamekanî billaw dekrêtewe. Şîkarîyekî babetiyaney wutuwêj legell binemalle û dayk û bawkekan nîşanî dedat ke çon dekrê nasname kultûrî û siyasîyekan wek serçaweyek bo em sê mijare derbikewn: (1) gîrodebûn be ledestçûn û bizirbûnî kultûr; (2) webîrhênanewey tirawma; û (3) pêçewanebûnî tirawma leberamber dûbarebûneweyda. Beşêweyekî giştî, encamekanî em lêkollîneweye piştgîrî le têgeyîştinêkî şirovekarane le nasname bekomellekan dekat ke wekû serçaweyekî giring bo sazkirdinewey binemallekan le dway qonaẍî paş-tirawma seyr dekrêt.


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