The meaning of losing a child in older adults: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background After losing their child, elderly parents look for a meaning in this phenomenon. This meaning comes out from their experiences, and their responses to and actions in life are shaped based on this meaning. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of “understanding the meaning of losing a child in older adults.” Methods This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis method. Using semi-structured face-to-face interviews, data were collected from 15 older adults who had experienced of losing their adult child. Data analysis was performed according to the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman, 2004. To prove the trustworthiness of the data, credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability were used. Results The age range of participants was between 61 and 83 years and 73.3% of them were female. The two main categories of “tasting the bitter flavor of life” and “searching for a positive meaning in losing a child” together with the theme of “finding hope in the heart of darkness” were extracted from the participants’ experiences. Conclusions Despite the grief of losing a child, which had cast a dark shadow over the parents’ lives, the child’s liberation from worldly sufferings, his/her presence in a better world, and being hopeful about the grace of God had caused the elderly parents to find hope in the heart of darkness. After identifying the parents with a deceased child, they should be helped through psychological counseling and care of the healthcare team so that they can adapt to this situation by finding a positive meaning in losing their child.

A model for older adults’ coping with the death of their child: a grounded theory study

“…The study presents a final model derived from data collected between July 2020 and June 2021. A part of the study’s findings was published in previous works [ 22 – 24 ]. Inclusion criteria were age above 60 years old based on the definition of old age in developing countries [ 25 ], written consent to participate in the study, not having cognitive problems according to the self-report of the participants and their families, having experienced the death of his/her child (the age of the deceased child was over 16 years), and at least one year should have passed since the child’s death.…”

Support Received and Provided by Older Adults who Lost a Child

“…Previously, the meaning of losing a child among older adults was explored. [ 20 ] The present study is a qualitative content analysis using a conventional approach (Oct 2020- Jul 2021). The purpose of qualitative content analysis is to explore individuals' perception of everyday life phenomena and to interpret their mental content.…”