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The lives of mothers following the death of a child: Toward an understanding of maternal bereavement
Abstract
The intent of this research project was to develop a greater understanding of the long term effects of maternal bereavement. A phenomenological research design, employing the conversational in-depth interview, was used. Participants were asked to describe, in their own terms, how they experienced the death of their child and how that experience had evolved over the intervening years. Of particular interest were the internal processes and mechanisms used in the development and evolution of maternal grief, the present quality of life and the women's concept of self and of the world. An interview guide, refined in a pilot study, served to identify the potential scope of topic areas. Constant comparative analysis, as applied to grounded theory, guided data collection and analysis. Common themes were identified as: survival, including motivation and strategies; adaptation to life without the physical presence of the child; the presence or absence of support; purpose and meaning of the death and the reconstruction of purpose and meaning in current life. Common patterns included an expanded empathy for those in pain and crisis; a connectedness with universal pain; a shift in values and priorities; an increased motivation to be of service and to make positive use of the pain and growth that had ensued as a result of the child's death. The adaptation to life without the deceased child involved emotional, spiritual, cognitive and behavioral processes. Common to all participants was the use of spiritual processes in the reconstruction of purpose and meaning in life without the child. The majority of participants retained a connection with the child who had died through a felt presence or ongoing relationship with the child. All the participants expressed the belief that maternal grief is a life-long process, with no final resolution or completion. Within these commonalities, the data reflected the idiosyncratic and dynamic nature of maternal bereavement. Each woman's story remains uniquely her own yet mirrors the indomitable qualities and courage of human survival in the face of overwhelming loss.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Individual & family studies|Social psychology|Sociology
Recommended Citation
Oliver, Kami, "The lives of mothers following the death of a child: Toward an understanding of maternal bereavement" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9110200.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9110200