Facing the loss of a parent – how is institutional support interiorised?
When a parent dies, children are dependent on support from outside the family. Based on bibliographical narratives of persons who lost a parent when they were adolescents, this study examines how they experienced the integration of institutional help in their lives.
Project description (completed research project)
The context of this project is interdisciplinary efforts to improve institutionalised support for dying processes in palliative care-oriented facilities such as hospices or hospitals. The focus of the study is not on the dying but on family members of the dying. The experience of losing a closest relative puts adolescents into a crisis situation - and one in which they often utilise support services. The question is: what effect do the support services subsequently have in the course of the adolescents’ lives? This question has been neglected in the research so far.
Aim
This study aims to fill a research gap. Twenty open-ended interviews will be conducted with persons who lost a parent to illness when they were adolescents. The recorded narratives will be analysed using a detailed linguistic analysis.
Relevance
In coming years, the problems connected with support for family members of the dying will have increased urgency in palliative care-oriented institutions and in social policy. This study will produce the needed basic knowledge. The findings will be used in practice as decision-making bases for institutions. For adequate support of adolescents, it is important to understand what biographical significance this support can have. The expected results should inform the designing of the support programmes.
Original title
The habitual foundations of adolescents facing the loss of a parent – how is institutional support interiorized?