Bereavement experiences of mothers after child loss: Examining with interpretative phenomenological analysis

Loss of the child is one of the most devastating experiences of life. The aim of this study is to examine mothers' experiences of child loss in depth. The study was conducted with a qualitative method in order to reveal how the mothers experienced the loss of a child, what coping methods they used in this process, and the effect of socio-cultural factors on the grieving process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 mothers who lost their children due to natural causes, and the data were analyzed using the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. As a result of the analyzes, superordinate themes were formed which were (1) mourning after the loss, (2) the changes brought about by the loss, (3) coping mechanisms, (4) socio-cultural factors and (5) other factors affecting the grieving process. The theme of mourning after the loss includes the emotional reactions to the loss and the oscillatory nature of grief. The theme of changes brought about by loss consists of sub-themes of change in self and relationships. Sub-themes under the theme of coping methods can be listed as religious coping, social coping, emotion-focused coping, and cognition-focused coping. The theme of socio-cultural factors covers two sub-themes as religious-cultural mourning rituals and the effect of people on the mourning experience. Finally, the theme of other factors affecting the grieving process consists of 3 sub-themes: factors related to the bereaved person, factors related to the deceased person, and external factors. Findings of the study were discussed in the light of the relevant literature and theories. Suggestions were made for practitioners and future studies in accordance with findings reached as a result of the study.