Bereavement Groups for Parents Who Have Lost a Child: A Qualitative Study of Parental Experiences in a Danish Context

BACKGROUND: Bereavement support for families experiencing the loss of a child is a crucial aspect of Specialized Paediatric Palliative Care (SPPC). As an offering of SPPC, bereavement groups have the potential to provide meaningful support. Limited research, however, exists considering parents' direct experiences of these groups and considerations for how to approach them in a Scandinavian context.

AIM: To explore parents' experiences of bereavement support groups to explicate thematic priorities that speak to the design, facilitation, and other practical considerations for delivering these groups in a Scandinavian context.

METHODS: A qualitative study, inspired by a phenomenological approach, was conducted in a regional Danish hospital-based bereavement program. Parents who had lost a child and participated in a bereavement group were invited to share their experiences in a focus group and/or individual interview. Thematic analysis methods were utilized to explicate thematic priorities.

RESULTS: Three thematic priorities were articulated for delivering bereavement support groups: (1) to cultivate a sense of belonging; (2) To share and bear memories that sustain presence; and, (3) to support parents make sense of past experiences in the present. Additional specific practical considerations were elucidated.

CONCLUSIONS: In a Scandinavian context, hospital-initiated bereavement groups may aspire to provide a shared space for parents to engage with existential aspects of loss. This study contributes to evolving understandings of best practices for bereavement support in regional paediatric palliative care programs.