Forgotten grievers: an exploration of the grief experiences of bereaved grandparents

Abstract

Aim: Current knowledge about bereavement has been derived mostly from the experiences of spouses, parents, and children. There is a paucity of studies on the grief of grandparents. The aims of this Irish national study were to identify and describe the bereavement experiences of grandparents following the death of a grandchild and to explore their needs and supports throughout this experience. A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed.

Method: A multi-pronged sampling strategy was adopted. Seventeen people participated in in-depth interviews. The data was subjected to thematic field analysis through NVivo.

Results: The small body of literature generally claims that grandparents experience 'double pain', meaning that they concurrently experience feelings of loss for their grandchild and pain associated with their own child's grief. However, this study found that grandparents experience 'cumulative pain'. That is, in addition to double pain, they also experience pain from other sources.

Conclusion: There is a need for the complexity and intensity of the grief felt by bereaved grandparents to be recognized, acknowledged, and supported by health professionals and society in general.