Professional Bereavement Photography in the Setting of Perinatal Loss: A Qualitative Analysis

Professional Bereavement Photography in the Setting of Perinatal Loss: A Qualitative Analysis

Ramirez F D; Bogetz J F; Kufeld M; Yee L M

Global Pediatric Health

2019

qualitative research; bereavement; grief; perinatal loss; photography; publication of this article.; and/or; authorship; conflicts of interest with respect to the research

Perinatal loss, including fetal and infant death, is a devastating experience for parents, resulting in long-term adverse physical and psychosocial outcomes. However, little is known about what services might best support grieving parents. We aimed to understand the role of professional bereavement photography in assisting the grieving process of parents who have lost a fetus or infant, by examining the perspectives of bereaved parents, professional photographers, and health care professionals. Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted, and interview transcripts were analyzed using modified grounded theory. Twenty-three individuals participated, including 6 bereaved parents, 8 photographers, and 9 health care professionals. Analyses generated 5 major themes describing ways in which the photographs were valuable to parents: validation of the experience, permission to share, creation of a permanent and tangible legacy, creation of positive memories, and moving forward after the loss. Hospitals should consider incorporation of professional bereavement photography services into palliative care and bereavement programs.

Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

August 2019 List