The Experiences of Mothers Bereaved by Suicide: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

To ascertain the meaning of their loss, the authors explored the experiences of 7 biological mothers bereaved by suicide. Purposive sampling was used and 1-to-1 interviews were conducted and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) silencing grief; (b) shattered assumptions; (c) constructing a narrative; and (d) the depth of a mother's grief. Mothers experienced intense prolonged grief with many psychological and physical symptoms; one acknowledged strong suicidal thoughts and one had attempted suicide. The findings suggest a need for care professionals to be aware of, and to target, this vulnerable subgroup.