A Narrative Analysis of Sibling Grief

ABSTRACT

Sibling grief is linked to serious physical and mental health outcomes, yet remains the least researched of all family bereavement. This exploratory study created a shared sibling grief narrative. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 27 participants who lost a sibling. Primary themes included Shared Life: Identity Within the Sibling Arrangement; Sibling Death: Pivotal Moments in Time; Life After Sibling Loss: Emotional Suffering, Life After Sibling Loss: Missing Roles & Changing Relationships; and The Sibling Lives On. The following study findings clarify the overlooked impact that sibling death has on the surviving sibling and demonstrate the crucial need for more sibling loss research.

KEYWORDS:

• Death and dying
• narrative research
• parent child relationships
• sibling grief
• sibling relationships

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amy M. Funk

Amy M. Funk, PhD, RN-BC, is an assistant professor of nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University. Her research interests include gerontology, supportive care, end-of-life issues, emotional trauma, and grief.

Sheryl Jenkins

Sheryl Henry Jenkins, PhD, APN, is a professor of nursing for Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University. She is a researcher and author of numerous studies on critical thinking, transcultural nursing education, civility, rapid response teams, and homelessness. She has done both qualitative and quantitative research on diverse populations, including nursing students, nurses in clinical practice, nurse educators, and homeless persons.

Kim Schafer Astroth

Kim Schafer Astroth, PhD, RN, is an associate professor of nursing at Illinois State University. She has experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods, completing research in a variety of areas, including rapid response teams, symptoms associated with chronic illnesses, civility, and physical activity. She has several peer-reviewed publications in these areas.

Gregory Braswell

Gregory S. Braswell, PhD, is an associate professor in Illinois State University’s Department of Psychology. He received his PhD in psychology (with a focus in developmental psychology) from the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. His research interests are in children’s participation in everyday activities with adults, peers and objects in museums, classrooms, and homes.

Cindy Kerber

Cindy Kerber, PhD, PMHCNS, BC, is a professor of nursing at Mennonite College of Nursing. Her practice specialty is community mental health. Her research areas include civility in health care, geriatric mental health, and addictions treatment including disordered gambling.