ArticleBMC geriatrics2021
The meaning of losing a child in older adults: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- The application of welfare technology in preventing solitary death among frail older adults who have lost their only child: A qualitative study based on the experiences of home help service providers.Dialogues in health · 2026Article
- Trajectory patterns and influencing factors of depression due to child bereavement among older adults in China: a 5-year longitudinal study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Qualitative Bereavement Experiences and Support in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Scoping Review.Omega · 2024Article
- A model for older adults' coping with the death of their child: a grounded theory study.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- Support Received and Provided by Older Adults who Lost a Child: A Qualitative Content Analysis.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery researchArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAfter losing their child, elderly parents look for a meaning in this phenomenon. This meaning comes out from their experiences, and their responses to and actions in life are shaped based on this meaning. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of "understanding the meaning of losing a child in older adults."
methodsThis qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis method. Using semi-structured face-to-face interviews, data were collected from 15 older adults who had experienced of losing their adult child. Data analysis was performed according to the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman, 2004. To prove the trustworthiness of the data, credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability were used.
resultsThe age range of participants was between 61 and 83 years and 73.3% of them were female. The two main categories of "tasting the bitter flavor of life" and "searching for a positive meaning in losing a child" together with the theme of "finding hope in the heart of darkness" were extracted from the participants' experiences.
conclusionsDespite the grief of losing a child, which had cast a dark shadow over the parents' lives, the child's liberation from worldly sufferings, his/her presence in a better world, and being hopeful about the grace of God had caused the elderly parents to find hope in the heart of darkness. After identifying the parents with a deceased child, they should be helped through psychological counseling and care of the healthcare team so that they can adapt to this situation by finding a positive meaning in losing their child.
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