"Under lock and key": parental bereavement after loss of a child to suicide: a single case study

• Autor(a) principal: Batista, Carolina Isabel Hortas Esteves Vieira
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/49763
• topic: Bereavement; Parental bereavement; Suicide; Grief; CPTSD; Case study; Thematic analysis; Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Sociais::Economia e Gestão

This dissertation explores the bereavement experience of a father who have lost a child to suicide. Using a single case study methodology and a posterior thematic analysis, this research aims to expand current knowledge on this particular subject, focusing on the subjective and individual experience of the participant, rather than seeking generalizability with the results. Findings reveal symptoms consistent with complicated grief, with the participant describing feelings of remorse, confusion, shame, and anger, particularly in the initial five years following the loss. The study also explores the potential overlap between Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) in the context of traumatic grief. Additionally, the absence of narratives congruent with an acceptance of the reality of the loss are explored, using Worden’s Tasks of Mourning (2018) as a theoretical Framework for understanding and navigating bereavement. It was also observed the emergence of post-traumatic growth (PTG). In conclusion, this study highlights the urgent need for additional research to expand our understanding of parental bereavement following the suicide of a child, providing valuable insights into the silent struggles of bereaved fathers. It contributes to the larger discourse on this emotionally charged phenomenon, improving our ability to offer support and therapeutic interventions to those navigating this challenging path.