Protocol for a meta-ethnographic study of the experience of loss and bereavement in fathers of children diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses

This study aims to provide an in-depth assembly of the current state of knowledge around fathers’ experiences of loss and bereavement following their children’s life-limiting conditions. Previous research has predominantly explored the mothers’ experiences of bereavement and their emotional and psychosocial needs, either explicitly or within ‘parent’ or ‘family’ samples. Fathers are often the forgotten parent. There is an immediate call to understand fathers’ experiences to inform appropriate psychosocial interventions and support channels