A new state of being: the lived experience of parental bereavement

In spite of growing bereavement literature, the meaning of the lived experience of parental bereavement is not well understood. This article presents selected findings from a Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological study which aimed to describe the lived experience of bereaved parents who experienced the death of a child due to cancer. Conversational interviews were conducted with six parents who experienced the death of a young child due to cancer at least one year prior to participation. The nature of parental bereavement was revealed to be a new state of being into which parents enter immediately after the death of a child and which has no end point. Findings will equip health professionals and others who work with bereaved parents with a deeper understanding of the meaning of parental bereavement.

15 citations (Crossref) [2023-10-31] Citation Key Alias: ISI:000391796100004 tex.eissn: [object Object] tex.unique-id: [object Object]