Bereaved Parents' Changes and Needs after Losing their Child to Cancer: A Qualitative Research

Introduction: Parents, who lose their child to cancer, undergo changes which lead to decreasing in quality of life and their level of adaption. Besides, after a child's death, numerous needs appear for the parents. The present research aimed to identify bereaved parents' changes and needs. Method: In this qualitative research with phenomenological approach, 12 bereaved families in Tehran City, Iran, who had lost their children to cancer, were selected using purposive sampling. The participants were studied via semi-structured and in-depth interviews. Data were collected, registered, encoded, and classified into main categories. Results: Data analysis resulted in extraction of the 4 main themes of changes (psychological and physical changes, interpersonal changes, intrapersonal changes, and changes in life style), and 2 themes of needs (emotional needs and financial needs). In addition, each main theme included some secondary themes. Conclusion: Through identifying bereaved parents' changes and needs, we can enhance parents' quality of life and mental health. Medical team and clinical psychologists can benefit from the results of this research, and prepare emotional support for the parents during the terminal stage and after the loss of the child. Besides, they can have positive effect on long term's grief outcomes for bereaved parents, and help them with adaption. Keywords: Bereavement, Cancer, Changes, Need