The lived experiences of bereaved daughters whose mothers died from cancer
Date
2015-01-12
Authors
Lyons, Hayley K.
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Abstract
A qualitative approach was used to study the lived experiences of bereaved daughters who
experienced childhood maternal loss due to cancer. Semi-structured interviews were
conducted with nine women. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and content
analysis was used to find recurring themes. Twelve themes emerged: initial grief
reactions to maternal loss, death becomes a real part of life, loss of mother projected into the
future throughout life, integrating maternal loss, self before and after maternal loss, mother as
part of myself, mother-daughter relationship, personal attributes that emerged from maternal
loss, reaching age of maternal death, seeking maternal influence from other women, becoming a
maternal/feminine influence for others, and change in relationship with father. Findings indicate
that grieving maternal loss is a unique and individual process that has a profound impact on a
young woman’s life by affecting her sense of self and relationships with others. Implications of findings are presented for health care professionals
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Keywords
maternal loss, bereavement, daughter, childhood, cancer, sense of self