1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The goal of this phenomenological study was to develop an understanding of the experience of fathers 1 to 6 years after the death of their child aged 1 to 17 years.» (p. 310)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«Our research question was “How do fathers live following the death of their child?”» (p. 310)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’échantillon est composé de 13 pères ayant vécu le deuil d’un enfant depuis moins de 7 ans. Tous les participants habitent au Québec.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«The themes identified in the analysis illustrate the intensity of this long-term experience for fathers. The latter two themes, keeping the child present in everyday life and finding meaning in their experience of grief, have been described in other studies but have not been integrated into a process. The first theme, needing to push forward in order to avoid breakdown, conveys the intense pain the fathers felt. […] The second theme, keeping the child present in everyday life, refers to the benefits of maintaining a relationship with the deceased child. [O]ur results show that fathers maintain a difficult balance between remembering the deceased child, with all the emotional pain that entails, and immersing themselves in their professional and family life. The third theme, finding meaning in their experience of grief, was a significant one in our investigation. […] Fathers who participated in our study shared with us the existential questioning and search for meaning that their grief brought on. The themes of spirituality and the meaning of life came up in all of the interviews. Their reflections on what truly matters challenged their priorities and resulted in beneficial changes in their day-to-day life […].» (p. 319)