The Role of Faith, Religion, and Spirituality in Narratives of Parents Grieving the Loss of a Child to Cancer (GP150)

Outcomes 1. To identify the major themes that arise when bereaved parents discuss their spirituality and religious beliefs after the loss of a child. 2. To describe some opportunities for strengthening supports for bereaved parents as they navigate the process of redefining meaning in the face of loss. Key Message This qualitative study describes major themes that arise when parents talk about their bereavement experience, including life after death, divine control, and evolution of spirituality and religious life. Exploring the diverse roles religion and spirituality play in parental bereavement highlights gaps in bereavement support and opportunities for future improvement. Importance Religion and spirituality play distinct, integral roles in how many people experience illness, death, and grief. The role of religion and spirituality in the experience of parents grieving the loss of a child to cancer remains underexplored. Objective(s) To describe how bereaved parents talk about religion and spirituality when reflecting on their experiences. Scientific Methods Utilized This qualitative descriptive study is part of a larger mixed-methods study on bereavement among parents of children who died of cancer. Participants whose children died of cancer one to three years prior to participation completed a one-on-one semi-structured interview about their bereavement experience. Interview transcripts underwent qualitative analysis, including coding, codebook development, memoing, and thematic synthesis. Content pertaining to religion, faith, God, and spirituality were coded as 'Faith' and subsequently underwent in-depth content analysis to identify salient themes. Results Of 30 parent interviews analyzed, 28 contained content about 'Faith.' Three major narrative themes arose: 1) life after death, 2) divine control, and 3) evolution of spirituality and religious life after loss. There was diversity within each theme, with some parents expressing opposite views on what they found supportive versus challenging. Within the context of these themes, participants discussed practices, like prayer and journaling. A fourth minor theme arose regarding intersections of faith and healthcare. Conclusion(s) Many bereaved parents describe their journey in terms of spiritual beliefs, questions, and imagery. The healthcare community plays many roles in parents' spiritual narratives throughout their child's illness. After loss, parents described navigating spiritual challenges in isolation from community, with few identifying organized support. Losing a child represented a time where beliefs about purpose and meaning were questioned or reframed. Impact The absence of supports for religious and spiritual needs represents a gap in bereavement care. Future work should clarify needs and explore potential interventions.