Parents’ self-identity and meaning-making after the traumatic loss of a child

Abstract

Meaning-making is crucial for parents after the traumatic death of a child, encompassing sense-making, finding benefits, and self-identity changes. However, self-identity changes are often understudied. This study examines parents’ narratives on self-identity through meaning-making. Participants were recruited online via Finnish bereavement organizations. In the first phase, 66 parents answered open-ended questions on LimeSurvey. Then, 17 parents had in-depth phone interviews. Thematic analysis revealed key themes: reconciling social identity, reconciling personal self-perceptions, finding meaning in a new parental identity, and defining roles within this new identity. These insights are vital for social workers to understand the complex nature of parental grief.