Long-Term Experiencing of Parental Death During Childhood: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the long-term experience of childhood parental death by exploring how adults (a) retrospectively conceptualize their experiences of childhood parental death and (b) currently experience their parent’s death. Analysis of interviews with 12 adults who experienced parental death as children identified six themes centered on the impact of parental death circumstances, their initial reactions, other losses, long-term grief triggers, and relationships with the deceased parent, surviving parent, and other family members on their grieving process. Themes indicated the grief experience was ongoing and connected to attachment needs.