Maternal Grief: A Qualitative Investigation of Mothers’ Responses to the Death of a Child From Cancer

Abstract

This study explored bereaved mothers' responses to the death of a child from cancer, with a focus on identifying adaptive and complicated grief reactions. To understand the unique meaning of their loss, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 mothers at two time points. Interpretative phenomenological analysis-guided by meaning-making theories of loss-revealed five master categories: the perceptions of the child's life with cancer and death from the disease, changed self-identity, coping style, developing an ongoing relationship to the deceased child, and the postdeath social environment. Each of these master categories and associated subthemes provided insights into the characteristics of the bereaved mothers' adaptive and complicated grief responses to their loss. Given all the mothers evidenced multiple forms or types of these responses over time, they could not be categorized as adaptive or complicated grievers. However, the varying proportions of each of these responses highlighted differences in overall bereavement adaptation.

Main topics related to the disease, death, and dying in communication between parents and their adolescent children with incurable cancer

“…This was the best present and nothing will top this". The presence of death opens us to closeness and authenticity, so even if a child dies, he may have the attitude that nothing would change (Gerrish, Bailey, 2020).…”

“…Openness, respect, and truthfulness, possibly introduced into the dialogue between parents and their children due to the existence of cancer, can contribute to deepening the experience, closeness, understanding of life, and confi rmation of mutual affection (Ljungman et al, 2016, Gerrish, Bailey, 2020.…”

Maternal grief: analysis and therapeutic recommendations

“…One of the torturous components of maternal grief is the scarcity or absence of others who understand. 24 The mother is best served by drawing close to others most effected by the loss. New bonds are possible with the others who loved her child, including the father and siblings.…”

O tempo do luto materno pelo filho que morreu na infância

“…Para as mães, o luto, em geral, desencadeia cascata de respostas negativas e destrutivas, exigindo cuidado deliberado e extenso 9 . Neste contexto, destaca-se a natureza complexa e multifacetada das respostas adaptativas e complicadas do luto materno 10 , que aumentam as doenças mentais, como ansiedade e depressão, e contribuem para o uso de psicotrópicos 11 .…”