Professional bereavement photography for perinatal loss: A mixed-methods study

Title

Professional bereavement photography for perinatal loss: A mixed-methods study

Creator

Vivekananda K; McDowell C; Knipe K; McMaster C; Rahimi F; Richards M; Salvini S

Publisher

Death Studies

Date

2024

Subject

Parents; Bereavement; Photography; Parental Attitudes; Female; Descriptive Statistics; Human; Adult; Male; Perinatal Death; Bereavement; Psychosocial Factors; Semi-Structured Interview; Stigma; Multimethod Studies; Emotions; Grief; Parent-Child Relations; Infant Newborn; Evaluation; Middle Age; Memory; Parent-Infant Bonding; Personal Satisfaction; Photography; Positive Psychology; Practice Guidelines; Social Media

Description

Abstract This study addresses research gaps regarding the impact of professional bereavement photography for perinatal loss. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, 504 parents completed an online survey measuring their attitudes toward bereavement photography and its impact. Thirty-one parents participated in semi-structured interviews. The results indicate a high level of acceptability and satisfaction for professional bereavement photography by parents (including those from more diverse backgrounds). Data triangulation confirmed that photos are valuable in enfranchising grief, validating parental and babies' identities and facilitating connections with others. Significant correlations were found for sharing of photos with both positive attitudes toward photography and for continuing bonds. The expression of continuing bonds in public social media spaces suggests increased social acceptance and validation for grieving perinatal losses. The findings from this study further inform practice guidelines for supporting perinatal loss.

Rights

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).

Collection

Citation

Vivekananda K; McDowell C; Knipe K; McMaster C; Rahimi F; Richards M; Salvini S, “Professional bereavement photography for perinatal loss: A mixed-methods study,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed February 19, 2025, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/19599.