The National Archive of Grief Support Studies
The National Archive of Grief Support Studies(NAGSS) database provides bibliographical information and summaries of recent articles selected for their relevance to grief and bereavement service providers. The articles that are summarized are selected from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and are intended to highlight key concepts as well as provide a brief statement of implications for service providers. Bibliographical information may be used to obtain the original article.
Research with Bereaved Parents: A Question of How Not Why
Authors:
Hynson, J.L.
Aroni, R.
Bauld, C.
Sawyer, S. M.
Source:
Palliative Medicine: 2006. Volume 20, pp. 805-811.
Summary
This article summarizes the results from a qualitative study in which 69 parents of deceased children were interviewed to explore the experience and impact of the research process. The study concluded that the bereaved parents felt that participation in the research process was a positive experience. Although many parents had agreed to participate for altruistic reasons, they found that participating in the research was personally beneficial. Key elements of the interview process that contributed to providing a beneficial experience included: sensitivity of the interview approach, allowing parents to choose the time and place of the interview, giving parents an opportunity to talk about the child, and giving parents a socially acceptable opportunity to make meaning out of the loss of their child.
Key words: ethic, child, parent, research
Service Provider Implications
This article’s conclusions contribute to the existing data and literature that indicate that research with bereaved parents can be safely and ethically conducted, and that the bereaved may find benefits from participating. The authors stress that research must be done by individuals with a high level of training who are able to interview the bereaved with sensitivity and empathy.
