Life and Death Attitudes of Parents of Children with Problems: Interview Data

Abstract

The research problem was concerned with (1) describing differences regardling life and death meanings between parents of so-called “children with problems” (n = 11) and of parents of children without such problems (n = 6), and (2) gaining some understanding and indication of the effect of a remedial, therapeutic program on the meaning of life and death of parents of children enrolled in such a program, The Children's Health & Developmental Clinic (CHDC). By means of an interview schedule, qualitative differences and commonalities in the meanings given to life and death between the groups were reported. The CHDC was seen to affect the meaning given to life moreso than to death although the two concepts seem to interact with one another. The research suggested implications for parent education, the education of children, and the behaviors of child abuse, parricide and suicide, and murder of their children by parents.