Examining the support needs of bereaved parents.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Examining the support needs of bereaved parents following the death of a young person (aged 16-29yrs)with cancer using a Grounded theory approach.
IRAS ID
231179
Contact name
Susan Kirk
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester, Faculty of biology, medicine and health
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 7 days
Research summary
Research examining the needs of bereaved parents following the death of their child from cancer suggests parental grief is that like no other, being all encompassing physically and emotionally (Bortz et al 2013). Therefore the nature of support must recognise the symptoms of parental grief and provide appropriate support, recognising when parental grief becomes complex in nature.
Studies highlight the individualized nature of parents’ needs and how they may vary over time. However, the majority of these studies have samples with a wide age range (2 to 25 years) and lack ethnic diversity. No study has focused on the parents of young adults. Moreover the majority of research is quantitative and the nature of this research does not delve deep into the experience of grief, or allow parents to express themselves freely which is important when trying to understand their feelings.
The aim of this study is to explore the support needs of parents following the death of their young adult child (aged 16-29) from cancer. A qualitative approach using grounded theory principles will be taken. Ten parents who have been bereaved for more than 6 months will be recruited from a specialist centre. Purposive sampling will be used to include a range in bereavement length to enable the study to examine how support needs change over time. Semi structured interviews will be used to allow participants to express the needs that are important to them. The potential for distress during interviewing is recognized and a protocol has been developed. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed using grounded theory techniques. The study design has been discussed with bereaved parents and their feedback suggests that it is appropriate and acceptable. Indeed they expressed a desire to participate in research in order to help other parents.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0126
Date of REC Opinion
6 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion