Fathers' grief after the death of a child

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe fathers' grief and the changes the death of a child has brought to fathers' lives. Participants included eight fathers who had lost a child. The data were collected using a questionnaire with open-ended questions and by interviews. Content analysis was used as a means of data analysis. The grief of the fathers manifested itself individually and dynamically and also in various anticipatory feelings and in physical, social, and behavioural reactions. The death of the child brought both positive and negative changes to the fathers' lives. Mental health nurses should be aware that depression and other mental illness, as well as unemployment and financial problems, were reported by some of the study participants.