"Understanding why she had to leave me": The roles of religion and spirituality in narratives of parents grieving the loss of a child to cancer.

ABSTRACT: Religion and spirituality often influence how people experience illness, death, and grief. The roles of religion and spirituality for parents who have lost a child to cancer remain underexplored. This study aimed to describe how cancer-bereaved parents talk about religion and spirituality when reflecting on their experiences. Participants whose children died of cancer one to six years prior to participation completed a one-on-one semi-structured interview. Interview transcripts underwent qualitative analysis. Content pertaining to religion and/or spirituality underwent subsequent in-depth analysis to identify themes. Of 30 interviews analyzed, 28 contained religion/spirituality content. Four themes arose: (1) life after death, (2) divine control, (3) evolution of faith after loss, and (4)

SUBMITTER: Superdock AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11538361 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature