Bereaved Parents Experiences of Hospital Practices and Staff Reactions after the Sudden Unexpected Death of a Child

Objectives To offer an interpretation of bereaved parents' evaluations of communication with healthcare practitioners surrounding the death of a child. Design Interpretative qualitative study employing thematic and linguistic analyses of metaphor embedded in interview data. Setting England and Scotland. Participants 24 bereaved parents (21 women, 3 men) Methods Participants were recruited through the True Colours Trust website and mailing list, similar UK charities, and word of mouth. Following interviews in person or via video-conferencing platforms (Skype/Zoom), transcripts first underwent thematic and subsequently linguistic analyses supported by Nvivo. A focused analysis of metaphors used by the parents was undertaken allow in-depth interpretation of how they conceptualised their experiences. Results The findings illuminate the ways parents experienced communication with healthcare practitioners surrounding the death of a child. They show how their evaluations of effective care relate to the experience of the bereavement itself, as expressed through metaphor. We identified three broad themes: (1) Identity (2) Emotional and Physical Response(s) and (3) Time. Successful communication from healthcare practitioners takes account of parents' experiences related to these themes. Conclusions This study suggests that healthcare practitioners when communicating with bereaved parents need to recognise, and seek to comprehend, the ways in which the loss impacts upon an individual's identity as a parent, the 'physical' nature of the emotions that can be unleashed, and the ways in which the death of a child can alter their metaphorical conceptions of time.

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Embodied Grief: Bereaved Parents' Narratives of Their Suffering Body

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.2190/om.59.3.e ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 253-269 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Maria Gudmundsdottir

Keyword(s):

Coping Style ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Clinical Work ◽

The Body ◽

Sudden Unexpected Death ◽

Psychological Pain ◽

Maladaptive Coping ◽

Unexpected Death ◽

Bereaved Parents ◽

The Many

Experiences and symptoms emanating from the bereaved person's body are commonly considered to be psychosomatic reactions to loss. The lingering of such experiences is thought to reflect a maladaptive coping style that needs to be addressed to access the psychological pain underlying the symptoms. In this interpretive, phenomenological study of 15 family members in seven families who lost a child to sudden, unexpected death, stories of embodied grief are explored to further understand the grieving body. The findings of this study illuminate the many ways parents experience their grieving body and they underscore the importance of witnessing and acknowledging stories of the body in clinical work with bereaved parents who are learning to live in a world without their beloved child.

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Living through the death of a child: A qualitative study of bereaved parents’ experiences

International Journal of Nursing Studies ◽

10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.05.006 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 48 (11) ◽

pp. 1384-1392 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Jayne Price ◽

Joanne Jordan ◽

Lindsay Prior ◽

Jackie Parkes

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

Bereaved Parents ◽

Death Of A Child ◽

Parents Experiences

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From Death Notification Through the Funeral: Bereaved Parents' Experiences and Their Advice to Professionals

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.2190/6xuw-4pyd-h88q-rq08 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 149-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Linda Janzen ◽

Susan Cadell ◽

Anne Westhues

Keyword(s):

Sudden Death ◽

Social Workers ◽

Critical Period ◽

Funeral Directors ◽

Grieving Process ◽

Bereaved Parents ◽

Death Of A Child ◽

Specific Advice ◽

Death Notification ◽

Parents Experiences

Parents who experience the sudden death of a child will interact with many professionals in the period immediately following the death notification through to the funeral. The way these professionals respond to the parents during this critical period may be perceived as helpful, and thus support them in beginning the process of managing the trauma and starting a healthy grieving process. It may also be perceived as unhelpful, though, and contribute to more prolonged and complicated grieving. This article identifies the interventions that a sample of 20 parents who had experienced the sudden death of a child found helpful with different aspects of grieving. Specific advice is given to police, nurses, doctors, coroners, social workers, crisis counselors, funeral directors, and chaplains or clergy.

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