Meaning-making Coping in Finnish Parents Following the Traumatic Death of a Child

Abstract

Meaning-making is a crucial coping strategy for parents following a traumatic loss of their child and has been associated with better adjustment for parents dealing with such losses. However, meaning-making is often underexplored. The present study investigates the use of meaning-making coping among parents who experienced the traumatic death of a child. The study involved 117 participants (n = 108 female, n = 5 male, and n = 4 who did not disclose their gender). Overall, 117 parents responded to open-ended questions using the LimeSurvey tool and 17 parents participated in telephone interviews. Through a thematic analysis of the collected data, five key themes emerged: religion as a source of personal strength and support, tragic optimism, finding meaning through supporting others and the meaning of the parent-child bond. This study holds significant importance in advancing our understanding of parental grief in the context of traumatic loss. The findings emphasize the critical need to provide support for parents and assist them in the process of meaning-making, which can play a pivotal role in reducing the risk of negative consequences that often follow the traumatic death of a child.