When a Child Dies by Suicide

Suicide is a global concern for the well-being of families. When parents experience their child's death by suicide, their well-being can be substantially impaired. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of parents whose children died by suicide. Data were collected from 25 mothers through interviews between 2019 and 2021 and analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The data revealed five superordinate themes, including (1) who am I; (2) the unrelenting questions; (3) my existence on earth is brutal and cruel; (4) grief; and (5) the meaning. Each superordinate theme includes two to four supporting clusters. Parents' grief associated with a child's suicide is overwhelming and paralyzing but is often a journey to find the meaning or the reason for the death. Parents are traumatized and emotionally vulnerable. Healthcare providers need to support parents who lose their children to death by suicide

Grief · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Meaning (existential · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Sociology · Superordinate goals · Theme (computing · Family Support in Illness · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse · Psychology · Social Psychology

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