Maternal Loss: An Analysis of Types of Death and Grief Mediators

Abstract

Objective: To understand maternal grief by establishing an analysis between the types of death and the mediators of grief.   Methodology: Field research was carried out with a qualitative approach, with the participation of mothers who lost their children due to premature death (sudden/natural or violent/tragic) and who participate in the mutual help group “Mothers of Pieta”, in Patos, Paraíba. The interviews were reflected in the light of Bardin's content analysis method, the organization of data and information was done through the Mindomo 4.5.4 software, in the premium version, for the development of mind maps.   Results: Based on the mediators of mourning, to verify the existence of bonds of meaning between the bereaved and the lost being. It was observed, in the totality of the sample, that the bonds are of maternal order. Thus, it was possible to identify ambivalence in the relationship between mother and child, reports of satisfaction with social support after the loss and all mothers were involved in Catholic rituals. Most of the sample reported experiences resulting from a violent/tragic death, grief experiences prior to the death of their children, involvement in social roles and attachment security. Only one mother completed the six personality variables during the grieving path, while another experienced grief due to sudden/natural death.   Conclusion: There is evidence that the type of death can directly affect the experience of bereavement, since premature and violent death tends to lead to a longer period of mourning and a slower evolution of mourning.