Life after the Death of a Child: Initial and Long Term Support from Others

Abstract

This article presents research on both the source and continuity of support received by bereaved parent(s) within four different social contexts: family, friends, co-workers, and clergy. The data were obtained from a study conducted in 1990–91 on the social impact of the death of a child, and are drawn from fourteen interviews with bereaved parents representing nine families and ten child deaths. The responses to three questions are considered. First, how were you treated by family members and close friends? What were their expectations? Second, how were you treated by your boss and co-workers when you returned to work? What were their expectations? And, finally, how did your clergy treat you? Using the work of Therese Rando and William Worden as point of departure, social support or lack thereof for the bereaved parent is reexamined from a symbolic interactionist perspective. Implications for grief counseling are discussed.