Children’s Well Being after Deceased Fathers: A Qualitative Analysis of Mothers’ Views

Abstract

Death of a parent has adverse effects on the child’s well-being. The surviving parent is often the most important source of support for the child and a close witness of the child bereavement process. The aim of this study was to understand the perceived effects of paternal bereavement on children’s mental health and coping strategies through their mothers’ narratives. Adopting qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine mothers who had lost their spouses. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: negative effects on mental health, posttraumatic growth, and coping strategies. The findings indicated that the consequences of paternal loss are not limited to negative effects on children’s functioning, as they may also experience positive changes following the loss. Moreover, mothers noticed that their children overcame paternal death successfully by using coping strategies such as discovering new activities, religion, and social support. Consequently, these findings indicated that grief-response and resilience-enhancing strategies should be tailored to the emotional needs of each family.

Keywords

• trauma
• mental health
• paternal loss
• coping

Baba Vefatından Sonra Çocukların İyi Oluşu: Anne Görüşlerine Dayalı Nitel Bir Analiz

Abstract

Ebeveynlerden birinin vefatı çocukların iyi oluşunu olumsuz yönde etkilemektedir. Hayatta kalan ebeveyn, genellikle, çocuk için en önemli destek kaynağıdır ve çocuğun yas tutma sürecinin yakın bir tanıdığıdır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, babanın yasını tutmanın çocukların psikolojik sağlığı ve başa çıkma stratejileri üzerindeki algılanan etkilerini annelerinin anlatıları aracılığıyla anlamaktır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerine göre tasarlanan bu çalışmada, eşi vefat etmiş dokuz anne ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Yapılan tematik analiz sonucunda üç ana tema ortaya çıkmıştır: psikolojik sağlık üzerindeki negatif etkiler, travma sonrası büyüme ve başa çıkma stratejileri. Elde edilen bulgular baba kaybının sonuçlarının çocukların işlevselliği üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerle sınırlı olmadığını, çocukların kaybın ardından olumlu değişiklikler de deneyimleyebileceklerini göstermiştir. Dahası, anneler çocuklarının yeni aktiviteleri keşfetmek, din ve sosyal desteğe başvurmak gibi başa çıkma stratejilerini kullanarak baba vefatının üstesinden başarılı bir şekilde geldiklerini fark ettiklerini bildirmişlerdir. Sonuç olarak, bu bulgular kedere tepki ve dayanıklılık artırıcı stratejilerin her bir ailenin duygusal ihtiyaçlarına göre uyarlanması gerektiğini göstermiştir.

Keywords

• Travma
• ruh sağlığı
• baba kaybı
• başa çıkma

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