Att förlora sitt vuxna barn : En kvalitativ studie om hur fem mammor upplever och hanterar sina vuxna barns död

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to examine how five mothers experience and cope with the loss of their adult children and also how this loss affect the mothers. We chose a qualitative method using semistructured interviews. We used Lazarus and Folkman’s coping theory and Folkman’s revised coping theory in our analysis. The results showed that the mothers’ experiences were very individual. Despite that, there were certain feelings that they had in common: inner emptiness, loneliness and the notion of the child’s irreplaceable role in their life. The unnatural order that exists in losing a child also affected the experience. The loss of a child brought with it so much more than just the physical loss, such as the sense of lost personal identity and personal traits. Important aspects that helped the mothers cope with their loss were things such as their social network, their jobs, having spiritual beliefs and a continuing bond to the deceased child. When people in their surroundings ignored their loss or behaved insensitive, it had the opposite effect. Though the acute grief decreased, the grief overall did not become easier with the passing of time.