The role of spirituality in coping with the loss of a child

This study aims to examine the role of spirituality in the coping process of parents who have experienced the loss of a child. It investigates which coping strategies parents resort to during this critical period and how their relationship with spirituality is shaped. To this end, a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was adopted, as phenomenology allows for an in-depth exploration of individuals' experiences and the meanings they attribute to them. The study group consisted of 12 participants (7 mothers and 5 fathers), selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and a personal information form prepared to obtain demographic information about the participants. The data were analyzed using content analysis, and the findings were presented under six main themes: (1) relationships with the deceased child and the surviving family members, (2) strategies used to cope with grief, (3) perception of life after loss, (4) emotional processes following child loss, (5) spiritual resilience, and (6) participants' overall evaluations of the process. The findings revealed that spirituality serves as a frequently utilized coping resource for parents experiencing the profound trauma of child loss. These results demonstrate that supporting spirituality in the grieving process plays an important role in both individual healing and psychosocial interventions. Keywords: Child Loss, Grief, Spirituality, Coping