Understanding the Bereavement Process: Voices of Bereaved Parents

Abstract

Analysis of in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 bereaved parents and 11 service providers revealed a more holistic conceptualization of the bereavement process for parents who have lost a child. Holistic “states” included: “helplessness prior to the death,” “fog,” “turmoil,” “transition,” “new beginnings,” and “stability.” Findings showed that loss and restorative processes are characteristic of more than one state, the bereavement narrative starts prior to the death, there is often a downturn after the bereaved parent seemingly is doing better, and the process never ends but may include a continuing bond with the deceased and reoccurring moments of extreme grief. Recommendations for direct practice, program development, and future research are presented.